Shingeki no Kyojin: Titanfall
by Salaeren
Summary: [Manga Spoilers] After a strange development during his battle with the Armored Titan, Eren finds himself deep within enemy territory with nowhere to run. Trusting his instincts, Eren listens to the story of those who chose to destroy the Walls and, with time, begins to understand. Resolving to become a Warrior himself, Eren can finally see Annie for who she is. [3 arcs]
1. Prologue

"YOU FUCKING TRAITOOORS!"

Eren didn't feel pain. He didn't feel the blood flowing as he bit down, or the steam burning, or the flesh expanding. He didn't feel sadness, or regret, or longing. There was only anger. A fierce, unyielding hate that surged up from deep within his soul and laid waste to everything else in his mind. In that moment, Eren didn't want answers. Nothing existed but this fight.

He just needed to punch Reiner. And not just once, but a hundred times. A thousand times. A million times.

The instant his transformation was complete, Eren drove his right fist into the Armored Titan's plated jaw. The force generated from his blow was enough to split them apart, sending Eren into a freefall while his opponent crashed against one of the nearby struts. From her position on the wall, Mikasa could only watch as the two combatants fell 50 meters to the ground below. Straddling the top of the wall with a massive ribcage, Bertholdt - no, the Colossal Titan - continued his assault against her comrades.

Mikasa mentally berated herself, cursing her hesitation. _If __only __I __had __followed __through __with __that __attack__...__it __was __our __best __chance__!_

Their faces, masked with fear, flashed briefly in her mind.

As Eren and the Armored Titan finally crashed to the ground, Mikasa felt her heart do the same. She let out a sigh, reaffirming the grip on her blades.

There won't be a chance like that again...never again, she thought.

"Men! Get away from the wall!"

Hanji's panicked cry woke Mikasa from her stupor. The young prodigy turned her attention to the battle above, just in time to witness the Colossal Titan deal a devastating blow to the wall and everyone on it. Soldiers, cannons, and chunks of the wall itself went flying. Over the sound of crashing stone and metal and the screams of her friends, one voice reached out.

"Ymir got caught!"

It was true. Mikasa could barely make out the form of Historia's friend, caught in one of the Colossal Titan's massive fists. There appeared to be another soldier in the opposite hand, but only the man's squirming legs could be seen. Quick as a flash, both hapless victims were tossed into the Colossal's mouth.

"He ate them!"

Mikasa could already feel something rising in her throat. Anger was beginning to take hold of her, and a few deep breaths weren't going to cut it this time. Despite the chaos of the moment and her own swirling torrent of emotions, Mikasa closed her eyes and focused. She had to stay in control, she couldn't afford to be reckless. This battle could end the war. Or it could make things much, much worse.

Far below, blind to the swirling chaos on the edge of the wall, Eren struggled to lift his battered form up off the ground. The Armored Titan had been quick to recover after his surprise attack, delivering a swift blow to Eren's head. The nose and upper lip were already regenerating, but the process was still a slow one.

"That bastard," Eren mumbled, almost lost in the euphoric throes of Titan transformation.

_Always __going __on __about __being __a __soldier__, __having __your __duties __and __sense __of __honor__. __Despite __that__, __you __held __back __in __our __fights__. __You__'__re __actually __pretty __strong__, __but __I __guess __scum __can __have __strength__, __too__. __Yeah__, __you__'__re __scum__. __Do __you __have __any __idea about __the __kind __of __shit __you__'__ve __done __to __us__? __The __shit __you__'__re __doing __to __us __right __now__, __your __so__-__called__ "__comrades__?" __You __seemed __like __a __great __guy__, __the __kind __of __guy __I __looked __up __to__. __You __were __always __so __calm__, __so __level__-__headed__, __eyes __on __the __bigger __picture __without __ever __forgetting __about __the __details __that __held __it __together__. __Always __putting __your __friends__' __well__-__being __before __your __own__..._

The Armored Titan approached slowly, its heavy feet sending tremors through the ground and birds flying from the trees nearby.

_I __remember __thinking __to __myself__, "__I __want __to __be __like __him__."_

A sudden burst of gas, the sound of cables grinding against metal. Quick as always, Mikasa rotated her body and spun her blades right into the Armored Titan's neck. They snapped in two immediately upon coming into contact with its armor, and Mikasa cursed as she sped past.

Damn it, nothing works, she thought.

Sparing no time for hesitation, she whirled around and fired her cables into the Armored Titan's back, lining herself up for a more precise strike. Trapped in his regenerating form, Eren gazed up at the eyes of his armored executioner.

_You __guys __are __real __assholes__. __You__'__ve __done __more __harm __than __anyone __else __ever __has__. __I __need __to __make __you __disappear__!_

Pouring all his effort into concentration, Eren focused his mind and commanded the form around him to rise. Slowly, the healing body complied, pushing itself up to face the coming threat.

_You __can__'__t __be __allowed __to __remain __in __this __world__. __I__'__m __feeling __sick __just __thinking __about __your __face__, __that __stupid __face __you __made __back __then __when __you __took __that __salute__. __Justice__, __my __ass__. __I __feel __like __puking __my __guts __out__._

The eyes on his Titan form widened slightly as it finally rose to its feet. Realizing that her efforts were futile and fully aware that Eren was rearing up for another attack, Mikasa quickly jumped from the Armored Titan's back and retreated back to the wall.

_You __goddamn __vermin__._

Losing himself further to the influence within his own mind, Eren summoned every ounce of strength and flung his right fist into the Armored Titan's cheek.

_I__'__m __gonna __EXTERMINATE __YOU__!_

The blow did not even phase his opponent. The hand itself nearly disintegrated on impact, and the Armored Titan's emotionless counterattack was brutal. A single, calculated blow to Eren's own face eviscerated him and sent the form flying back yet again. Like before, his nose and upper lip were destroyed...along with the entire front of his skull. When he finally collided with the ground for the second time, Eren found himself slipping into despair.

_Too __strong__...__I __can__'__t __do __anything __to __him __like __this__._

Buried deep within the flesh of his Titan form, Eren's grit his own teeth in frustration.

_If __the __enemy __is __stronger __than __me__, __what __can __I __do__? __Fuck__, __I __give __up__...__I __give __up__._

"I give up," he murmured into the hot flesh. He closed his eyes, relinquishing himself to the oblivion that was coming.

'_Give __up__?'_

Eren's eyes burst open.

'_I __don__'__t __need __you __to __give __up__, __I __need __you __to __learn__...__how __to __use __your __strength__...'_

He rose to his feet, the Armored Titan never slowing in its approach.

"EREN! DON'T DO IT!" Even from her position on the wall, Mikasa's words reached him. She was sure of it. Still, he continued to rise and heal his battered form.

"Fighting him won't get you anywhere!"

_You__'__re __wrong__. __I __have __to __be __stronger __than __him __to __win__...__I __can __be __stronger__..._

"Retreat closer to the wall, where we can help you! You must not fight him!"

_Stronger__..._

Within his own shell, Reiner sighed. "Your tenacity is part of what makes you strong, Eren. But you need to know when to throw in the towel. This next attack will end things here, and then we can take you home."

The Armored Titan bent its legs, froze momentarily, then launched itself full-speed towards Eren's form.

_I __NEED __TO __BE __STRONGER__!_

The steam slowly trickling from his wounds suddenly became a geyser, exploding outwards and blanketing most of the area around him with a white-hot mist. Undeterred, Reiner forced his shell to move faster, hoping to beat the fledgling shifter before he managed to heal. Reaching the critical moment at last, the Armored Titan launched into the air and unleashed a vicious superman punch, disappearing into the mist surrounding its target.

_**CLANG**__**!**_

Mikasa and the rest of Squad 1 stared in astonishment as the Armored Titan went flying backwards, landing on its back and sliding for quite some distance. Once its body stopped moving, the Armored Titan laid still for a time. Mikasa blinked and turned to glance at Eren, who was still enveloped in a cloud of steam. Several surprised gasps brought her attention back to Reiner's form, which was currently struggling to look up. When it did, Mikasa let out a gasp of her own.

The armor on its face was cracked, chips falling from it every second or so. A few bolts of electricity danced across the surface for a brief moment before disappearing without a trace. Despite that, Mikasa could still hear the crackling.

But it wasn't coming from the right, not from Reiner's form. The source of the noise was to the left, by Eren. Mikasa looked back, and by then most of the steam had dissipated. Eren's Titan form had completely regenerated, however the entire right side of its body was still emanating steam and bolts of electricity. When at last they faded, even the Colossal Titan turned its attention to the new development.

Midnight. Plates of purest ebony, similar in structure to those adorning Reiner's form, now decorated the entire right side of Eren's. Even the right half of his Titan's face was now covered in the strange material. The new substance only expanded so far; the further to the left it traveled, the thinner it became, eventually abandoning its solid form and scattering into countless black branches.

The tell-tale whirring of grappling hooks woke Mikasa from her trance. Hanji had lowered herself to Mikasa's right side, her expression lit up like it always was when a new discovery had been made. Mikasa knew, however, that this time was different. There was a wonder in those eyes she had never seen before, a mad kind of hunger.

"Whatever kind of transformation this is, clearly it's incomplete. Still, this new advantage is too much of a game-changer to ignore. How fascinating! I wonder what could have triggered the change?"

The light of the sun gave Eren's newly acquired armor a brilliant sheen. He unclenched the right fist, still in his stance from that last sucker punch. Bringing the changed hand closer, Eren studied it through his second pair of eyes.

_What __the __hell__...?_

'_I __need __you __to __learn __how __to __use __your __strength__.'_

Annie's words came to him once again, reigniting his desire to fight. To win.

I don't know how this happened_,_ he thought. Not that it mattered at the moment. Eren clenched and unclenched the hand repeatedly, comforted by the new strength coursing through him. Reiner gazed up in shock, and watched as the hand closed into a fist once again. Eren's second pair of eyes snapped up to meet Reiner's.

For only a brief moment, the traitor to humanity felt afraid. Eren's form adopted a fighting stance once again, fists raised and head held high. He felt confident again. He could win, now.

_Bring __it __on__, __Reiner__. __Let__'__s __see __if __this __new __body __of __mine __is __as __strong __as __it __feels__!_

Within his own meaty shell, Reiner laughed. "Alright, Eren. Whatever you did to yourself, let's see if it's enough to beat me." The Armored Titan rose to its feet, metallic fragments falling all the while.

* * *

And somewhere far away, removed from the increasingly dangerous conflict taking place beneath Wall Rose, Annie Leonhardt stirred within her crystal prison.


	2. Warrior

[First Arc:::Warrior]

Year 850

* * *

Annie couldn't remember the last time she watched her crystals fall apart from the inside out. After spending so much time preparing for the war, after staying safe and feeling content for so long, it was quite surreal. There was, however, one minor stipulation. In fact, it was a first.

She did not erect this crystal defense; at least, not willingly. It was easy to just write the action off as an impulsive one, but she couldn't stop the doubt from surfacing in her mind. She was always in control, always calm and focused. So why? Why the uncertainty?

Why did the crystal dome that encased her feel so...foreign?

With her upper body freed, Annie immediately slumped over. Forcing her head up, she took in everything around her; the surroundings were abysmal, at best. Walls of stone and bars of iron, the dim torchlight stinging her sleep-filled eyes. Then there were the guards, two of them standing at the end of the room, muskets loaded and aimed.

"She...she's coming out of there! What do we do?"

"Hold your fire. Just watch for any sudden movements, and don't forget that killing is a last resort. She has valuable intel we still need to beat out of her."

Of course, she thought with a touch of bitterness. Her careless self-crystallization had landed her in a tough spot, surrounded by enemies with no idea where she was or how to escape. A shitty start for what was sure to be a very, very shitty day. With a little more anger than was necessary, she forced her legs forward and shattered what remained of the crystal. The moment she did, the sound of muskets clicking filled the dungeon.

"Don't move!"

Annie looked up and was immediately filled with the desire to roll her eyes. The command had been issued by the older of the two guards, and clearly the more experienced one. He was a rugged-looking old man, but then again, who wasn't in this place? Her eyeroll would've been directed at the less impressive of the two, a young man who couldn't have been more than a year or two older than her. He was tall, lanky, and going by how he was currently shaking like a leaf, greener than the grass outside.

For the time being, she chose to obey the command and simply scanned the room more thoroughly. Chains hanging from the ceiling above, filth in the cells on the left and right, one door ahead. No sunlight streaming in, likely an underground prison. One way in, one way out, and two muskets barring her escape. Preparing herself for the inevitable shock that was sure to set in after being shot, Annie took a step forward. Then another.

"I said don't move! Any further and we will shoot you in the legs!"

Annie kept moving. The younger guard panicked and fired, the bullet barely grazing her leg. The older guard went red in the face and turned to yell something at the boy, but as far as she was concerned it was just unintelligible nonsense. Seeing her opening, Annie sprang forward.

The older man's chest exploded, a blue blade glowing faintly as it burst forth from his chest. The showering blood that peppered the front of Annie's outfit also coated the younger guard's face, sending him into shock. The superior still wore his angry expression as the blade withdrew from his chest and he fell forward. The newbie didn't get a single word out before he met his fate as well, the blade falling in a merciless cleaving strike that divided the poor boy in two.

All while Annie stood motionless in front of them, too stunned to speak.

Both halves of the boy fell to the ground, revealing his assailant to the young Titan Shifter. Where most others would see an innocent, timid girl with short brown hair and glasses, Annie saw a devoted servant and cold-blooded killer just like herself. A monster serving monsters, she thought scornfully.

"Leonhardt-sama, I've come." Her faintly glowing broadsword immediately returned to its home, an ornate scabbard strapped to the girl's back. Brightgleam, Annie recalled.

Not sparing any time, Annie responded with a cold, "How did you know I was here?"

"I followed you to this location after you crystallized yourself. It was a strange action that strayed from the original plan, and was at best a desperate attempt to save your own life. I was worried, and so arranged to be among the guards who were keeping an eye on you."

Annie narrowed her eyes. "_I never stray from the plan," _she thought,_ "that's why it doesn't make sense. I don't even remember crystallizing at all. I'd sooner die than be interrogated by these people."_

"You've awaken at a fortuitous time, Leonhardt-sama. Come now." With that, the Shifter turned and ran back through the way she came, with Annie right on her heels. The two of them rounded corners and crossed long hallways, the dungeon seeming more like a labyrinth with every moment that passed. Couple that with her excess of thirst and hunger, and it made for a very irritating run that ranked among the worst in Annie's memory.

"What's happening," Annie gasped as they ran, "that makes my timing so fortuitous?"

Without even turning to look at her, the servant replied, "Bertholdt-san and Reiner-san have been exposed."

Annie heard the panic in the girl's voice and felt the same thing begin to settle in her own body and mind. "What? How?"

"I don't know all of the details," came the reply as they approached a large stairway, "but according to the news that is quickly spreading nearby, someone discovered that they were Shifters and they were forced to change in order to protect themselves from attack. They are currently locked in battle, with Bertholdt-san fighting a multitude of soldiers atop the wall and Reiner-san engaging the Rogue Titan, Eren Jaeger."

Annie's breath hitched and she nearly choked on the saliva that had accumulated in her mouth. "_Fuck, I need water. Eren? Eren is fighting Reiner?"_

"Double time, Anastasia. We need to get there now and stop them from killing each other." Annie immediately launched into a sprint, with her servant struggling to keep up.

"Leonhardt-sama, please slow down! You don't know the way out!" She gasped for breath, still awestruck by the other Shifter's speed. "Annie," she cried out.

Annie turned her head back, then back forward. "_I can't waste time talking about this."_

With a great burst of strength she slammed the metal door open and ran through, outside and into the blinding sunlight. Her thumb slid against silver. The ring flipped open.

A quick sting, a single drop of blood. Lightning flashes, and flesh materializes. Anastasia finally exits the dungeon, and Annie lowers a giant hand for her to climb on. Without waiting for the poor girl to get comfortable, Annie immediately turned and ran with all the strength her legs could muster.

Time was running out.

* * *

_"Pathetic."_

Sweeping kick, retaliatory strike incoming.

_"Disgusting."_

Guard, grapple, overhead launch and raining blows, one after the other.

_"What's wrong? Aren't you strong, Reiner?"_

Thrown off, more incoming punches. Armored right arm raised, blows deflected. Unstoppable.

_"Stronger than me? That's funny."_

Bent forward, hands locked with the enemy. A test of strength. Pushing, pushing hard against the Armored Titan.

_"With this, I can beat you. I'll destroy you."_

Release hands quickly, throw him off guard, rush forward and drive plated fist into the chest. Armor shatters, flesh scatters, body flies back. Cheers from behind, anger up ahead.

_"You're nothing. I'm everything. Crush you. Annihilate."_

His left arm and leg were useless, diversions at best. Guard with right, strike with right, believe in right and crush those who are wrong. With the creed of this battle well-established, Eren roared with fury, echoing across the field. The Armored Titan, Reiner Braun, struggled to his feet. All around him were pieces of that dull golden armor, utterly shattered and ripped away from his form. Only the armor on his legs and head remained, so great was the damage that had been inflicted.

Inflicted by a green-as-grass Titan Shifter who has no idea what he's doing or how he's doing it. Reiner couldn't help but feel ashamed. He was the Warrior, so why was Eren dominating the fight? Every punch was deflected and every favor returned tenfold, enough to break through his own guards.

It's that fucking mutation, he thought. Of course, how could anyone forget? Eren's right half was covered head-to-toe in some indestructible material that ripped through Reiner's own armor like it was wet paper. Still, in this case, victory could be found even in defeat.

If we bring you to our side, Reiner thought with confidence, this war is as good as over.

Still, it bothered him. Eren never displayed this ability prior to their fight, so why now? What was the trigger? More importantly, why was the armor so similar yet so different to his own? Even his armor contained gaps, but Eren wore his like a second skin. A Copycat Titan, eh? Reiner laughed internally at the thought. Knowing him, Eren would gag at any title that didn't ooze masculinity and rage.

This fight is getting too dangerous, Reiner thought. Bringing his head to gaze up at the Colossal Titan straddling the wall, Reiner waved. And waved. And waved. It took a moment, but he eventually caught Bert's attention and made a series of motions with his hands that Eren was unable to decipher.

"Strength will only get you so far," Reiner murmured into the flesh surrounding him. "Even the strong must learn how to strategize, Eren. The next grapple you use on me will be the last."

Reiner launched himself forward in a full sprint, giant feet slamming into the earth below. The shockwaves cast out from his movement utterly destroyed a nearby abandoned farm, reducing the structure to rubble. Animals scattered and any trees in his path were completely shattered or uprooted. Straight ahead, stock-still and patiently awaiting his arrival, was Eren.

_"Come."_

"**C****...****o****..."**

_"Come, Reiner."_

"**Co****," **his fleshy shell growled.

_"Yeah, come on. Fight me. COME FIGHT ME!"_

"**COOOOME ****OOOOON****!" **The Rogue Titan spread its arms wide and roared in plain English, casting saliva and black ooze everywhere. Far from the battle and still hanging from the wall, Mikasa brought a hand to her mouth in shock.

Undeterred (impressed, even), Reiner ran even faster and crashed into his opponent at top speed, both of them flying through the air from the impact and crashing, sliding against the earth. With Eren tackled to the ground, Reiner gripped the other Titan's right arm in his left and pummeled Eren again and again. Quick to understand, Eren immediately rolled out from under Reiner's form and pushed...pushed...PUSHED forward to grip the Armored Titan's throat. Reiner quickly brought both arms to try and pull Eren's away, but it was no use. The boy's hold was absolute.

With a bonechilling roar, Eren lifted the Armored Titan into the air and brought him crashing down in a brutal chokeslam. The sheer force of the impact cast dirt up all around them, driving Reiner into a crater. Bringing his right foot down, Eren drove it through the exposed flesh of the Armored Titan's chest, piercing down all the way to the spine. Reiner's shell roared and screamed and struggled, but it was useless. Maintaining the pressure on its spine and holding Reiner's right arm with his left, Eren released his grip on the opponent's throat and gripped the skull with his armored right hand, bringing his menacing face only feet away from Reiner's own. He brought the head up and pushed it back down against the ground.

"**WHY****."**

The Armored Titan's eyes went wide. Eren started to slam the head back, again and again.

"**WHY****. ****WHY ****WHY ****WHY ****WHY ****WHY****-"**

Reiner tried to push Eren off with his free arm, but to no avail; what his arms had in bulk they lacked in length, effectively trapping him in this situation.

"**WHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHY****!"**

A rush of air, and darkness. A shadow cast all along the field. Eren shook himself free of the rage and looked up, just in time to see the Colossal Titan falling down on them both.

It collided. Steam exploded from the impact and obscured the whole scene, rushing out and tapering off just before reaching what remained of the soldiers on the wall.

Within the mist, Eren was suddenly knocked away from Reiner's form.

He looked left, then right. Fearing the worst he immediately spun around to see what was behind him.

Nothing. Nothing anywhere. Only scalding steam and emptiness. Then he heard it.

Running. Large feet pummeling the ground.

Eren whirled around and narrowly dodged Reiner's punch, ducking and retreating backwards. He should retreat further, use the mist to hide and launch a surprise attack, but he needs to hit Reiner. He needs to tear the flesh.

Tear it all. Crush. Destroy.

Eren propelled himself forward and slammed his right fist into the Armored Titan's jaw, coating it with black ooze. The fingers disintegrated on impact.

"Eh?" Eren blinked.

Steam burst forth from the wound, and already his hand was regenerating.

"What? My...hand," he whispered into the hot flesh.

The entire right half of his Titan form was now dripping black ooze, ooze that offered no protection and glided off of his body like quicksilver. Liquid, not metal. Useless ooze, not invincible armor.

Reiner recovered first. With a single devastating haymaker, the head of Eren's Titan form was severed from its body and flew into the air.

* * *

"I'm going," Mikasa yelled. She descended from her perch as fast as her legs would allow, running down the surface of the wall to the ground below. Following closely were Jean and Connie, though not for the reason she had hoped.

"Mikasa, wait!"

"Are you crazy? This fight is completely out of our league!"

Reaching the ideal distance from the ground, the three soldiers fired their hooks and managed to swing safely, landing on the ground and hitting a sprint.

A loud crash, the sound of rushing air, and a large object came flying towards them. Grabbing his two friends, Jean fired his hooks and yanked them to safety just as the object crashed where their bodies had been. Taking shelter on a house that somehow hadn't been demolished yet, they watched as the object rolled for a moment and came to a stop. Mikasa stifled a scream.

It was Eren's head.

Well, his Titan's head, anyway.

The three of them turned back to the wall of steam that was finally dissipating, and what emerged from the calamitous fight was hardly what they'd expected given how well Eren had been fighting.

The Armored Titan stood victorious, Eren's body in-hand and Bert standing on one shoulder. Feeling cheeky, Reiner waved at them.

It took all of Connie and Jean's strength, but they managed to prevent Mikasa from charging in and getting herself killed. She struggled and screamed, but she wasn't going anywhere.

Good, Reiner thought. With that settled, the Armored Titan turned and jogged away.

"HEEEY! LOOK OOOOUT!"

Hanji's voice had barely reached the three below when the Female Type hit the ground nearby, almost knocking them off the house. Without hesitation she immediately sprinted after the Armored Titan, almost knocking off the girl holding on to her shoulder.

"Damn it...I just...fuck this," Jean cursed, kicking the chimney.

"No way," Connie muttered.

Mikasa made to run after them, but Connie immediately grabbed her arm.

"Let me go!"

"Mikasa, just calm down," Connie pleaded.

"Eren, wait! I'm coming, Eren!"

"WAKE THE FUCK UP, MIKASA!"

Jean's anger brought her back from the brink, and she fell to her knees.

"Wake up," he spat. "It's over. They got Eren, and now they're getting away. We'll regroup and follow them soon, so just calm down and focus like you always do. We need you in top form for this, alright?"

The strength left her body and Mikasa collapsed.

* * *

When Eren came to, his arms were stumps. Already off to a great start, he thought.

With a yawn, he blinked a few times and took in the scene that awaited him. Ymir to his right, healing and scowling. Annie leaning against the tree trunk to his left, looking down at him with an expression he couldn't read. Straight ahead, Bert and Reiner arguing, with someone he hadn't seen before polishing a strange sword.

Noticing his movement, Reiner turned to Eren with a smile that sickened him. It was a genuine smile, and that's what made him sick.

"Yo, Eren. I'm glad you're awake."

"That makes one of us," Eren snapped.


	3. Warrior 2

"Tell me why."

Reiner's smile fell slightly, and he blinked. "Why?"

Eren leapt to his feet immediately. "Yeah, why! Why the fuck did you do what you did? Why did you kill all those people five years ago, including my mom?!"

Reiner sighed and shut his eyes. Sitting silent next to him, Bert watched impassively as Eren's anger accelerated what remained of his healing process. With both of his arms fully healed and his emotions raging, Eren drove a frustrated left fist into the trunk Annie was currently leaning against. His fist collided only an inch or so away from her head as he bowed his own, breathing heavily and trying to reign himself in.

It really wasn't going over too well.

His eyes snapped open, head tilted upwards just enough to meet Annie's own gaze. Frozen like always, he thought bitterly.

"And you," he growled, "are just as responsible. Did you have the time of your life, killing those people who were protecting me?"

Annie looked away. Somehow, that made him even angrier. Still polishing her sword a short distance away, Anastasia watched the boy speak with thinly veiled interest.

"Look at me. Don't even pretend to be ashamed when it's obvious that you couldn't care less. At least look someone in the eyes when you're accused of genocide."

"Eren!"

Scoffing with all the contempt he could muster, Eren withdrew his fist from the tree trunk and looked back to Reiner. Now standing with curled fists, the Warrior's smile had gone, replaced now with the usual stoic expression. From his memory, Reiner only adopted the expression when speaking about something of great importance.

Not that it mattered who they were, Eren reminded himself. What they were now, before his very eyes, were murderers and traitors to mankind. Monsters. Wolves who had lain with the sheep.

"Of the three of us who tried to protect and teach you, Annie's efforts were by far the greatest. I get that you hate my guts, man, I do. Just cut her some slack, alright?"

On impulse, Eren tilted his head to look at Annie again, but she was still looking away. Around. At anything but him.

"And, regarding your request..."

Eren looked back to Reiner, just in time to see the smile he now hated make its way back onto Reiner's face. He'd slipped back into his relaxed demeanor once again.

"I swear that if you come with us, you will have everything answered. There is way too much to talk about in one sitting, and especially not here where we've got Titans right underneath us and the damn Legion hot on our asses."

Taking note of the clumsy flesh-eaters below and letting his mind drift to thoughts of Mikasa and Armin, Eren begrudgingly decided that the guy had a point. Still...

"Eren, you're free to move about and try to kill some time. We aren't moving again 'till nightfall, so try to keep yourself occupied until then. I'd advise against ripping our heads off or running away, because then I'll have to sever your limbs and wear you like a backpack the entire way. And honestly, that doesn't sound too appealing even as the one doing the carrying. Fair deal, right?"

Without waiting for a response, Reiner sat back down and resumed his whispering with Bert. Pissed off and frustrated at being in such a weakened state, Eren had no choice but to take the advice. He sat cross-legged and stared at the lumbering Titans below, eyes occasionally flitting up to see what Annie was doing. Her gaze never focused on him, not even once. As silence permeated the area, the sun slowly kissed the edge of the horizon. Exhaustion from his battle had set in quickly, and before long, Eren found himself drifting off to sleep.

* * *

"Hey, get up. Eren."

Ymir's voice helped him to force his eyes open, and seeing how dark it had gotten sent a jolt of panic throughout Eren's entire body. He sprang up in an instant, startling her for just a moment.

"They're leaving."

"Eh?" Eren blinked.

"Reiner saw a signal flare, so they're leaving and taking us ahead of schedule."

"Scouting Legion?" Eren whispered.

"Looks like it," Ymir replied.

"Ymir, are you gonna run for it?"

"I," she began, taken aback by the question. For just a moment, Ymir looked conflicted.

"What? What's wrong?" Eren asked.

"Nothing, it's...there's something I can't leave here without. If the Legion is here, then I have to go find it. Damn it," Ymir cursed, glaring at her hands. Steam continued to billow forth, and she winced. "I'm still too weak to shift. I can't take her like this."

When her voice cracked, it was like he was staring at a completely different person. Even her cold exterior could melt in the right conditions, Eren thought.

"Hey, Eren," Ymir muttered. When he turned to meet her eyes, Eren nearly fell from the branch in surprise. She was _studying_ him, inspecting every inch of him from the bottom up.

"Why are you healed?"

Eren blinked, confused. The question didn't register in his mind. "Huh?"

"Idiot," Ymir growled, rising to her feet. Taking hold of his collar, she lifted him to his own feet with frightening strength and stared into his eyes, unblinking.

"Your wounds were far worse, but I'm the one still healing. Trust me when I say that I've got more experience with being a Shifter than you do, a lot fucking more. So why is it, Eren, that you seem in top shape while I'm stuck here, helpless and unable to do what I need to do?!"

"I-" Eren tried to formulate a coherent reply, but the words stuck in his throat. He'd never seen Ymir so angry or frustrated before. Strangely, it wasn't as if she was angry at him, exactly; it's like she was angry and frustrated with herself, with the world around her. And he understood completely. He wanted to comfort her, to convey his understanding, but his body simply would not allow him to speak when he needed to the most!

"It's because Eren is different."

Ymir whipped her head around to glare daggers at Reiner, who immediately threw his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

"During our fight beneath Wall Rose, Eren used a new ability unlike anything I'd ever seen before. It's like he mimicked the armor that my Titan form uses, only he improved upon it. I think it's a mutation of some kind. That might explain why he's healing strangely, a lot faster than he usually would."

"Yeah, and what does this have to do with me, huh Reiner? I don't give a shit about this kid or what makes him special, I just want to see Christa again!"

Reiner's eyes widened. "Christa? Christa's here?"

"She's with the rest of the idiots who followed you guys here." Ymir spat. "I picked up on her scent before you even noticed the signal flare."

Reiner furrowed his brow and brought a fist to his mouth, chewing lightly, wrapped in thought. Not far from where he stood, the last of Ymir's patience burned out.

"You care about her too, don't you?!"

Reiner's fist dropped and slackened, the entire arm falling limply at his side. Ymir dropped Eren unceremoniously to the ground and charged Reiner, taking a fistful of his shirt and dragging him along the branch.

"Ymir, wha-!" he began to yell.

The hysterical Shifter released her "captor" and pointed to a break in the treeline, an opening through which the plains beyond came into view. And there, fluctuating ever-so-slightly against the great expanse, was a company of black shapes. Very fast-moving black shapes, Eren noted.

The Legion had found them and they were closing in!

"Christa is there, Reiner. Let's take her." Ymir proposed.

"I can't-"

"Then let Eren do it!"

The other two blanched at that. Reiner heaved a great sigh.

"Fine, I'll do it."

Now it was Ymir's turn to act surprised. Eren just shrugged, a look of defeat on his face.

"I'll transform into a Titan, grab Christa, and bring her back."

"Absolutely not." Reiner said matter-of-factly. "You haven't heard a damn thing out of us, and suddenly you're going to cooperate? Eren, as much as I want to believe that you're in such a generous mood, my instincts are screaming against it. I won't risk having you run off with the Legion and making this entire mission a failure."

Before Eren could respond, Bert and Annie swung over and landed on the branch not far from where the three were standing. Annie approached Reiner and pointed to the approaching Legion members.

"They're going to die. Look."

Everyone turned to see what the stoic Shifter was referring to, and the group gasped as one. Out of nowhere, it seemed, came the Titans. Great silhouettes dwarfing those they'd identified as members of the Legion, they descended upon the group's pursuers and began to wreak havoc in the distance.

"We have to save them!" Eren yelled frantically. He made to jump from the branch, but Reiner's massive arm wrapped around his neck.

"Eren, we can't. You need to come back to Valhalla with us, and-"

"What the fuck are you talking about? Valhalla? You're spouting nonsense again! Just let me kill them all and we can go!"

"Eren, your quest for vengeance is starting to become inconvenient."

"THIS ISN'T ABOUT REVENGE!"

All of them stared at the panicking boy, stunned. Eren "Kill Em Dead" Jaeger, not after revenge? It was hard to believe, but there could be no denying the look on his face. Instead of his usual hate-filled gaze, Eren was pleading. Pleading up at Reiner, the traitor who was only a squeeze of the arm away from knocking the kid out.

"Let me save my...OUR...friends. They became your friends too, didn't they? Even after all you've done and all you're going to do, you will never see them as targets again! You even have feelings for one of them, don't you Reiner?!"

The hold around his neck slackened. Seeing the window of opportunity, Eren broke free of the other boy's hold and spun around, gripping his shoulders with inhuman strength. Reiner winced at the sensation, but he didn't bring himself to look up at Eren. Like he'd given up.

"Reiner, I fucking hate you right now. I don't even feel like I'm in complete control of myself, I...right now, I want nothing more than to choke you." Eren's hands shakily made their way to Reiner's neck, but the other boy remained motionless.

"But the truth is, what I want more...are those answers you promised me."

Reiner looked up, stunned into silence. His face lit up then, now filled with something akin to hope.

"I also want to protect our friends. Let me do this. I will destroy those monsters, grab Christa, and come back so you can take me to wherever the hell we're going. Actually," Eren continued, reaching for the key beneath his shirt and pulling it out for all to see. "With this, we'll go to the basement first and get some answers there, too. Just let me do this and I won't fight you guys, alright?"

* * *

"Mikasa, Armin! Look out!"

Pushing beyond his fear and placing his weight into the blades, Hannes sliced through another Titan's neck, saving the two kids from being devoured. One step closer to repaying the debt, Hannes thought.

The situation was far from promising. Legion members were being caught and devoured left and right, fighting an impossible battle in a field where they lost the advantage they had within the Walls. Without buildings or other tall structures to hook on to, they had to risk hooking on to Titans and praying the dumb creatures didn't think to play with the tempting cords that danced around their bodies. It was a gamble that didn't end well for many of their comrades.

"This is a disaster!" he yelled above the screams and pounding Titan feet. "We'll never make it to Eren if these bastards don't leave us alone!"

"We'll make it," Mikasa yelled back, "and we'll kill the traitors who took him away from us."

Without another word, the young prodigy fired her cables into the necks of two approaching 7-meter class Titans and launched herself forward with a burst of gas. Flying past the two beasts, the tension on her cables pulled the two together where they clashed heads. Releasing the cables and re-firing in the blink of an eye, Mikasa dashed through the air and sliced through the two necks in one broad swing.

"Mikasa, help! I...can't..."

Frozen with fear, Armin only inched backwards as another 5-meter Titan approached him. She was there in a heartbeat, flipping through the air and crashing down on the hapless creature, nearly severing the head from its body in a vicious downward slash. Casting aside her dull blades and reloading, Mikasa turned and approached her shivering friend, kneeling down right in front of him and grabbing his shoulders. She thrust her own emotionless face into his terrified one.

"Armin, are you okay?"

"I'm...weak."

Mikasa visibly softened at that. She tightened her hold on his shoulders, squeezing them reassuringly.

"You're not weak, Armin. You're the smartest of us and your combat abilities are up to par. It's natural to fear them, and overcoming that fear is so difficult that even Hannes has trouble with it."

"Come on, now, don't treat me like some helpless old man!" Hannes yelled cheerfully as he landed as short distance away from the two.

The joy was short-lived, however, as Jean and the others fell back to their position. Rather than dwindle, the encroaching Titans only seemed to increase in number as they approached. Those who remained of the Legion party formed a defensive phalanx as the Titans closed in all around them, seemingly unending.

"This is bad..." Jean growled, tightening the grip on his blades.

"I don't want to die!" came a voice from within the group.

"I want to go home!" came another.

"What can we do here?!" came a third.

"Fight! FIGHT!" a voice cried above the din.

The other Legion members turned to the source, the black-haired prodigy who stood unphased by the death that approached them all.

"Fight," she continued, "and you will not die. Fight until the end and you will live on in the ambitions of humanity. If you do not fight, you cannot win. If at least you fight, you stand a chance of winning! Of living!"

The frightened whispers and shaky prayers died out. All eyes and ears were on Mikasa now.

"That was...no, it IS the creed that Eren Jaeger passed to me as children, and the same creed that we both follow today. I am who I am today because of Eren, because of these words, so what do you think he would say to those of you who are cowering? Those of you who are crying?!"

Murmurs, then...and muffled laughter. They were still afraid, Mikasa noted, but the fear was slowly being overcome. It was being pushed away by the thought of an angry, utterly determined child that they all had come to know.

"He'd call us a bunch of worthless cowards!" one voice cried out. The laughter grew in volume, and spread to more scouts.

"He'd ask how we expect to kill any Titans if all we could do is feel sorry for ourselves." Armin said.

"That suicidal idiot," Jean began, stepping forward to join Mikasa, "would scream and shout about how unworthy we are of being members of the Scouting Legion. He'd probably give a long speech about it, and wouldn't shut up until I or someone else gave him shit for it." Despite the slight contempt in his words, Jean was smiling.

"Exactly," Mikasa replied, turning to face the Titan in front of her. "Eren wouldn't give up in this situation, so neither will I. What about the rest of you?!"

Vibrations in the ground, a flash of light peeking out from behind the Titans.

"We'll fight!" clamored the other scouts.

"Louder," Mikasa demanded, "say it loud enough for these monsters to hear!"

"FIGHT!" they all screamed.

Mikasa turned to face the Titans ahead, just in time to see them shoved away by another, taller Titan.

The resulting shockwave knocked the members of the Scouting Legion on their backs. Unable to see through the cloud of dirt that was knocked up, Mikasa no longer heard the groans and mumbling of the Titans.

A single, skin-crawling roar filled the sky. She knew that sound.

The dust cleared, and all the members of the Legion matched her awestruck gaze.

Straight ahead, gripping a 7-meter by its throat, was Eren in his Titan form.

* * *

"Annie, I want you to go with him." Reiner ordered.

Crossing her arms and looking to the side, Annie responded curtly, "I refuse."

Reiner sighed, scratching his head. "Look, we can't risk him changing his mind and running off. I need you to-"

"I don't give a damn what you need, Reiner."

"Will you just fucking listen to me?!"

Bert, Ymir, and Annie all turned their attention to him after the outburst. Reiner Braun was not known for losing his cool, and when he did, it was never over a negligible issue. The burly Shifter was tense, his fists clenched and his gaze positively ferocious.

"Annie, you are the only one who can defeat and restrain him if that becomes necessary. You're the best fighter here, and your crystal armor is more durable than mine. If it's the worst-case scenario, you need to be the one out there. If that mutation comes back and suddenly he decides the answers aren't all that important after all, we are screwed! Join Eren's fight, watch his back, and drag him back to us if necessary! Do you understand?"

Annie's only response was to sigh, leap off the branch and bite her hand, transforming mid-fall and landing on one of the Titans below, launching from its motionless form into a full sprint out of the massive forest. On the branch, Reiner sat down and dropped his head into his hands.

"Reiner, was sending her out there the right choice? You know how she is." Bert approached his best friend and sat down next to him, arms crossed.

"Yeah, I know. Believe me, I know. Still," Reiner groaned, lifting his head out of his hands, " it has to be her out there."

"What do you mean?" Bert replied, scratching his head.

"She has to be the one fighting, and she has to be the one leading him back."

"Why? Between the two of you and Ymir, why does it matter which one of you goes out there with him?"

"It matters, Bert, because..."

* * *

"Fuck yeah!" Connie yelled, carving out a valley in one Titan's neck whilst Eren smashed its companion nearby, driving his massive fist into its chest and bringing both fists down on its back. As the 11-meter behemoth crumbled to the ground and Mikasa cut through its neck, Eren spun around and clotheslined another Titan before it could reach her, placing a knee on its chest to hold it in place as he ripped its head off.

"That's the way, Eren!" Hannes yelled, swinging by his young friend and pulling Armin out of harm's way. "Good to have you back!"

Driving his fist into the exposed weak point and silencing yet another Titan, Eren looked up as a 15-meter charged his way. Unable to react quickly enough, Eren was helpless as the enemy that matched his size drove its full weight into his form, forcing him away from his comrades.

"_Too __fast__! __I __can__'__t__...__get __OFF __me__, __you __bastard__! __I __need __to __stay __close __to __them__!" _

Driving his feet into the ground, Eren managed to slow the skidding enough to regain his bearings and take control of the fight. Using the enemy's momentum to his advantage, the young Shifter rotated his feet to the side and ground himself to a halt, lifting the Titan into the air and throwing it away from his form. The other 15-meter recovered quickly, crawling on all fours at an unreal speed towards its chosen prey. A deviant type.

As the Titan sped towards him, Eren held his ground, raising his fists-

-only for the Titan to be tackled to the ground by another, a female who raised her right arm into the air.

"_Annie__?"_

She looked at Eren for a moment before looking back at the victim beneath her form. Without warning the flesh on her right arm separated, lacerating itself and forming a long blade of crystal resting above her forearm. She drove the blade into the Titan's neck, killing it instantly. After resting atop it for a moment, as if to catch her breath, Annie retracted the blade and rose to her feet. She did not meet his eyes, only turned her head to the side and waited.

The words came back to him. What he said to her within the forest, how his voice had been filled with hatred and disgust. She'd looked away from him at that moment, and though only for a brief second, Eren remembered the expression that had flickered across her face.

Hurt.

"_I __have __to __say __something__." _

Concentrating his efforts like before, focusing on what the sensation had been like during his previous bout with Reiner, Eren reached out with his mind and demanded absolute obedience from the violent shell around him.

"**An****." **Eren's Titan growled, as if it were frustrated at being unable to continue. He ground his teeth.

She turned and actually met his eyes, shocked.

"**An****! ****An****, ****ie****." **

It was a struggle, and the words simply would not come all at once. Despite his failure, the Female Type's expression appeared to soften. She'd understood what he was trying to say, perhaps even knew what message he was trying to get across. But Eren couldn't be sure, and so he turned away, running back to his friends.

He missed the small grin that graced her features, and it vanished completely as she followed him back into the fray. Charging full-speed, the two of them crashed back into the battleground. Before anyone below could register what had happened, the two Shifters took a Titan in each arm and dragged them away from the humans underneath.

"Is...is that Annie?!" Armin yelled, grabbing his head in confusion.

"What the hell is she doing here? And why isn't Eren ripping her to shreds?" Jean added, landing next to the other boy.

The number of Titans had finally begun to shrink, and with the 4 the Shifters had dragged away, that left only a handful for the members of the Legion to deal with. An exhausted Connie swung over and crashed into the ground, rolling in the dirt towards Jean and groaning all the while.

"Hey, Connie, are you alright?! Answer me, man!" Jean started shaking the sweating boy's shoulders. He received a light punch in the chest for his trouble, wincing as Connie got back on his feet.

"I'm fine, just..ow...out of gas and really, really tired." With a yawn, Connie looked around at the remaining Titans. He tilted his head curiously, poking Jean in the head.

"H-hey, cut that out! What do you want?"

"The big ones are all gone...and the little ones have lost interest." Connie mumbled, pointing to the Titans. As he said, the Titans that remained did not exceed 7 meters in height, and none of them so much as glanced in the scouting party's general direction. All eyes were on Eren and Annie, it seemed.

"Why are they doing that?" Christa asked, her eyes like dinner plates.

"They're always like that." Jean responded. "They just want to attack people who can transform more than regular people, for some reason."

Suddenly, the group of Titans abandoned the survivors of the attack, running at breakneck speed towards Eren and Annie.

"Not good!" Connie yelled, running for one of the horses. "If they get swarmed like that, it doesn't matter how strong they are! They'll get eaten for sure!"

"Wait!"

Connie turned as Mikasa cried out to him, catching up and grabbing him by the arm.

"Connie, look around you. Everyone who's still alive is either wounded or out of gas. We need to look after the others. There is nothing we can do for them. Even I," she broke off, clutching her wrist with tears in her eyes, "I can't do anything to help. I'm out of gas and they're too far away. I can't protect Eren right now..."

"So we just gotta trust him, right?"

Jean's voice brought her out of her stupor. Mikasa looked up at him, staring at his expressionless face as he watched the battle beyond.

"With that Titan power of his, he's stronger than any of us. I hate to say it, but he's our only chance of getting out of this right now. Not to mention that traitor, Annie, is helping him out for some reason. On his own, Eren's got a chance of winning this, but with another person who can transform into a Titan...this battle is pretty much over. Let's just sit back for now. If they need help, we can charge in. Otherwise, there's no sense in wasting our lives in a battle that doesn't have anything to do with us anymore."

An earth-shattering roar brought their attention back to the battle ahead of them. Eren and Annie were now back-to-back, defending themselves from the Titans that assaulted them relentlessly.

The two Shifters fought together, grappling and ripping their opponents apart, one by one. The enemies were smaller than them for the most part, but a group of 15-meter Titans was approaching in the distance. It was a race against time, to defeat the small fries before they were overwhelmed by the larger foes.

Eren caught a charging Titan's arm and swung him into Annie, who promptly cut through its neck and tossed it aside. Two more 7-meters leaped onto Eren's form and ripped his arms away, tearing them off and tossing them aside. A short distance away, Annie was dealing with two 5-meter Titans of her own, weaving to and fro in an attempt to dodge their leaping strikes. Thrusting her fist into the ground as they launched at the same time, Annie summoned a group of crystal spikes from the earth. Spearing the Titans through the neck, the spikes retracted just as quickly as they'd appeared, killing her foes instantly. Rotating to see how things were going on Eren's end, she felt her heart sink when she noticed them feasting upon his unmoving shell.

Anger surged. With an inhuman cry, the Female Type ran full-speed towards her quarry, only to be tackled by the group of 15-meter Titans that had reached them at last. The three monsters took her to the ground and tried to rip her flesh apart, but Annie's defensive crystallization held them at bay for the time being. It wouldn't hold forever, and she knew it, but Annie was helpless with their combined strength holding her.

A low growl surged through the air, and steam began to fill the vicinity. Rotating her head to look past her aggressors, Annie watched as Eren's Titan form began to convulse. The growl became a roar, erupting through the evening sky as bolts of electricity danced around his body. A sudden explosion of steam cast the 7-meter Titans away from his body, and through it Annie discerned his silhouette as it rose to its feet. After a moment, the steam thinned out, and her icy blue eyes widened at the image that greeted them.

* * *

"It matters, Bert, because he is drawn to her. We've both seen it. We both know that if it was anyone else out there, he would run back to the Walls."

"You're gambling again." Bert said, sweating. "What makes you so sure that he will come back to us just because she's the one leading him back?"

"Because," Reiner murmured, looking skyward, "I've seen what people look like, what they do, and how much they change when they have their eyes set on someone."

* * *

With a swing of his now-armored left arm, Eren cast the cloud of steam away and revealed the mutation that had nearly cost Reiner his victory that day. With two new arms coated in that impervious black material, Eren ran to Annie's prone body and drove his fist into one Titan's face, nearly disintegrating its skull and knocking it away from Annie. Taking advantage of his momentum, Eren twisted his body and leaned into a vicious kick that slammed into the Titan resting on her left arm, decapitating it. The third jumped at him and knocked his body to the ground, clawing at him in a frenzy. Slowly bringing herself up, Annie noticed the decapitated Titan's regeneration. Driving her fist into the weak point to settle that minor issue, she got to her feet and ran for the other Titan in the distance. It swung a fist senselessly in her direction, but thinking quickly she leaned back and slid against the dirt, ducking under the fist and swinging behind the Titan, crystallizing her fingers and driving them through the neck. She withdrew her hand and the Titan fell to the ground, motionless and melting. With her foe destroyed, she turned her gaze to Eren.

Pushing the Titan's arms away from his face, Eren grabbed it by the throat and squeezed, squeezed as he stood back up. Throwing it to the ground and placing a foot on its back, Eren drove his fist into the nape and utterly destroyed the nerve cluster within. Lifting his head up to face Annie, they stared at one another for a moment. Then, without warning, she turned and ran back to the forest, back to Reiner and Bert. Back to the other traitors. Back to those who had brought about the death of his mother.

Relaxing somewhat, Eren watched with fascination as the black metal became black ooze once again, just like earlier. With eyes set on the strange liquid falling from his arms, he didn't notice as Mikasa fired her hooks into his shoulder and propelled herself onto it with a final burst of gas. When she placed her hand on his cheek, Eren slowly turned his head just enough to where he could see her, staring her down with a giant green eye.

"Eren." Mikasa whispered fondly, resting her cheek against his. She closed her eyes, relishing the sensation.

Suddenly she found herself airborne, a gust of wind tossing her hair all about. Her eyes snapped open, and Mikasa realized that he had pinched her uniform and was letting her down. He bent his giant knees and lowered her with great delicacy, something out of character for such a terrifying visage. Once her feet touched the ground, he let go of her and stood back up, looking to Christa, then to the forest.

"Eren?" Mikasa inquired, reaching out for him. "Eren, what's wrong?"

He looked down at her again, with...sadness? Longing? She couldn't tell, but Mikasa knew there was a softness in that gaze that had never been there before. He bent down once more, extending a finger. Through instinct, Mikasa drifted towards it and wrapped her arms around the digit, squeezing it affectionately. He withdrew the finger.

And he ran.

The cloud of dirt cast up from his sprint obscured her vision and made it difficult to breathe. Gasping for air, Mikasa fell to her knees and watched through the cloud as Eren ran towards Christa, scooping her up in his palm and locking her within his cupped hands. She screamed and drove her fists into his fingers, but they wouldn't budge.

"Eren! EREN!" Mikasa screamed, stumbling after him. She tripped over her own feet and fell to the ground, watching helplessly as he turned and ran into the forest and beyond her sight. Beyond her reach. Away.

And she cried. She cried even as the others approached her, encircling her. Taking care not to agitate her in such a delicate state, Jean wrapped his arm around Mikasa and pulled the poor girl to her feet.

"Eren, why?" she moaned, gasping, unused to the sensation of crying.

"I had to see it to believe it," someone muttered from behind her, "but I guess Eren Jaeger was a traitor after all."

Something snapped within Mikasa. Whirling around, she drove her feet into the ground as fast as she could and tackled the one who said it. Before anyone could utter a word she was punching him, slamming her fists into the man's face again and again.

It took the combined strength of several Legion members to drag her off and restrain her. The one who voiced his dissent stumbled back onto his feet, cursing and clutching his face.

"He threw his lot in with them, you crazy monster bitch! He kidnapped that blonde girl! The boy is a traitorous, flesh-eating psychopath and I'm glad to be rid of him!"

"That's enough!" Armin yelled, running to the man and giving him a punch of his own, much to everyone's surprise. The already-stunned victim fell back to the ground and moaned in pain.

"Eren always has his reasons, he always makes his decisions with humanity's best interests in mind!" The man opened his mouth to protest, but Armin wasn't finished, not by a long shot.

"Eren sealed the gate in Trost and saved countless lives, he's trained under Corporal Levi and aided in the capture of the Female Type, Annie Leonhardt! He even engaged Reiner Braun in his Titan form, one that far exceeded his in terms of strength and durability! He's been laying his life on the line time and time again for your sakes! This is what you offer to him as payment? This is how you bastards are going to repay his dedication and his sacrifices?"

Utterly spent, Armin fell to his knees and gave in, crying and punching the ground. For what seemed like a lifetime, nobody said anything.

"There has to be a reason. Maybe he's going to go kill them, maybe he's going to tail them back to their base of operations and gather intel, maybe he's-"

"Maybe he's a traitor."

Armin looked up, and was surprised to see that the words didn't come from some other nameless Legion member, but from Irvin. The man knelt in front of Armin and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Commander?" Armin croaked.

"Maybe he's a traitor. Maybe he's not. All I know is that we have just been dealt a devastating blow from which we cannot recover. Many men have died in this attempt to recover Eren, and in the process Christa Renz was also captured...by his own hand. I've no choice but to consider him a traitor at this point, and to declare this mission a failure."

* * *

"Ymir!" Christa cried, eyes full of tears the moment they met those of her friend.

After releasing the girl from his grasp, Eren exited his Titan form and collapsed. Sucking in as much air as he possibly could, Eren rolled over onto his back and coughed repeatedly. A short distance away, Christa ran and launched herself into Ymir's arms. Eren continued to cough and gasp for air, a strange combination that left his chest in constant pain. His head was pounding, his vision was swimming, and overall it was a terrible experience.

"Eren." came Annie's voice to his left. She approached him and knelt at his side, watching impassively as he suffered. After a moment of silence she continued with a simple, "Are you hurt?"

Torn between scoffing and laughing, Eren tried both. It came out as a pathetic rasping noise, and she flinched.

"Perfectly fine. Thanks for asking."

"Yeah? Well, you sound like shit to me." Reiner laughed, approaching from Eren's right side.

Eren groaned, covering his eyes. "Could you guys not surround me? I feel like you're going to kill me."

"They're...not going to kill us, are they?" Christa whimpered from within Ymir's embrace. Ymir herself cast a glare in Reiner's direction that spoke volumes of what would happen if he so much as entertained the possibility.

"We're not your enemy, guys. Just take it easy, deep breaths and all that." Reiner sighed and scratched the back of his head nervously. "You're coming with us to our village, and we'll tell you everything you need to know when we get there. We'll be riding on Annie since she's faster than Bert and I. We'll be outside of the Walls in no time, maybe after a day or so. It will take longer if any Titans come after us, but we'll likely be moving too quick for them to even register that we're prey. It'll be easy!"

"Outside...the Walls?" Eren gasped, opening his eyes and gazing at the stars above.

"Yeah, our village is pretty far away if you're going by horse, but with Annie's help we'll be home shortly! And what a place, Eren. Wait until you see the defenses, we-"

"It's no fun if you ruin the surprise." Bert chided, grinning a little.

"The basement." Eren coughed out, wincing in pain.

"Eh?" Reiner blinked.

"The...basement. Remember? My basement..." Eren reached within his shirt and pulled out the key for the group to see. Reiner's eyes widened as he remembered.

"Take me...there. You promised." The last of Eren's strength vanished and he slipped into unconsciousness. His hand fell over the key and obscured it, as if to protect the very thing he was now offering to his enemies.


	4. Warrior 3

Eren knew he was awake. The gentle rolling sensation all around him, his eyes shut tight and encrusted with sleep; the feelings were all too real to be part of a dream. Aching arms moved, fingers brought up to scrape his eyes free and open them to the pale blue aura that waited.

"Finally up, are you?"

With a great yawn and a stretch of his arms, Eren pulled himself into a sitting position and blinked repeatedly, bringing the picture into focus: beneath him, flesh; above and all around him, crystal. Reiner was sleeping just to his left, curled into a ball and completely motionless. Sitting cross-legged just ahead of him was the girl who had spoken.

"Who are you?" Eren mumbled, persistently rubbing his right eye. "Where are we?"

"I am Anastasia. I serve the Leonhardt family."

She looked back to the sword in her lap and returned to polishing the hilt, paying him no heed as he looked her over. Short, brown hair, lightly tousled. Glasses, with a wooden frame matching that hair color. And behind those glasses...eyes half-lidded in concentration, with a strange yet oddly familiar shape to them.

Eren noticed she hadn't answered his second question, and so he felt compelled to repeat it. "Where are we?"

"Take a closer look around you," she responded curtly. "We are resting on the clavicle of Annie's Titan form; specifically, the right half. Bertholdt and the two younger ladies are on the left. The crystal barrier is to ensure that nobody falls off while she takes us to Shiganshina."

"How do you know that?" Eren inquired.

"I have spent a great deal of time riding within these barriers, back when she was still training to master the art of Shifting." A tiny smile made its way onto her face, her eyes adopting a faraway look.

"You make it sound like Shifting is something to be proud of. Not to mention, I'm sure you've played a part of your own in the atrocities that have been committed," Eren growled. "Are you really okay with what these so-called 'Warriors' are doing?"

"Of course," Anastasia responded, looking up to meet his gaze. "We have our enemies, like your Wall people. And like those behind the Walls, we of Valhalla aim to survive in this world filled with monsters."

"Even if it means becoming a monster yourself? Where the hell do you draw the line?"

"Between victory and defeat. And just so you are aware, you're on our side of the line, now."

_"So, we're really doing this,"_ Eren thought. Feeling for the key beneath his shirt, he pressed the cold metal to his chest and shivered._ "I'm...really doing this."_

A moment of silence passed, and Eren began to feel awkward. Any conversation would be better than no conversation at all, he decided.

"So, um...how long have you been serving them?"

She looked up at him, then. Her expression had not changed, but he could sense her confusion.

"The Leonhardts," he clarified.

"Since I was very young. Annie's parents took me in as a child, even though I was...different." She paused, brow furrowed and mouth set in a rigid frown. Her expression piqued Eren's interest, and he couldn't resist the urge to ask.

"Different how?"

She sighed, a sound so quiet and pitiful that it brought a twinge of pain to Eren's chest. She's a murderer like them, she has to be, he reminded himself. Again and again, the words were repeated in his head; it was his mantra, the words that anchored him to humanity and made it easier for him to condemn a girl he did not know or understand.

"My blood belongs to an old race, one now mostly lost to history. The way I refer to others in a dead language, my curved weapon waiting at home that contrasts so heavily with these crystal swords...even these eyes of mine. All of them are relics of this lineage, and I wish to speak of the matter no further."

Eren blinked and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. He hadn't expected her entire life story after such a simple question, but the way she tried to skirt around the topic only roused his interest even further. Then her words actually set in, and he nearly jumped up at the realization.

"She looks kind of like you...even knows some strange foreign words, too."

Something flashed in Anastasia's eyes, but Eren missed it.

"Of whom are you speaking?"

"My adopted sister, Mikasa. She's kind of like you, I guess."

"Is she? Interesting."

Before Eren could respond, the gentle rolling that indicated Annie's movement ceased. Grinding to a halt, the force of her sudden stop sent Eren rolling a few feet...directly onto the sleeping Reiner. The burly Shifter sat up in an instant, with eyes half-lidded and a sliver of drool hanging from his lower lip.

"Whassat?" He mumbled incoherently and to no one in particular.

The crystal barrier around them crumbled slowly, fragments glistening beneath the pale moonlight as they bounced off of Annie's Titan flesh. Looking to the ground below and taking special care not to fall, Eren could see a decrepit farmhouse at Annie's feet. Nestled against a small mountainside and surrounded by the dense forest, it would be the perfect place for them to get some proper rest. A calm night free from the terror of being eaten, crushed, or slowly chewed upon.

Annie raised her giant right hand, bringing it to rest palm facing upwards just at the edge of her clavicle. The hand was trembling slightly, Eren noticed. A sign of nervousness? Exhaustion? Whatever the case, he didn't have much time to mull it over before Anastasia planted her foot firmly on his backside, shoving him onto the hand and doing the same with Reiner shortly after.

The hand continued to shake as Annie lowered them to the ground. Rising carefully to his feet and taking great care not to fall, Eren watched as the left hand continued its shaky descent. Without warning the hand went limp and flopped against the ground, sending Bert and the two girls with him rolling into the dirt and grass below. The hand did not move again, and Eren's breath spiked suddenly when the hand beneath him simply crashed against the dirt like the left one before it.

Eren shook his head and stood, brushing the dirt off of his knees. He looked up at Annie's kneeling form, steam billowing forth as the giant creature melted and fell apart. Circling back behind it, Eren arrived just in time to watch Annie exit the nape.

Something was wrong. Rather than crawling or ripping herself free, Annie's body was slowly slipping out of the scalding flesh. First her head, then her shoulders and chest, all the way down to her waist. Her arms hung limply at each side, her head bent backwards with that wild blonde hair obscuring her face. With a loud _hiss _and _pop_, the flesh suddenly spat her entire body out.

Without thinking, Eren sprinted as fast as he could to where she would fall, sliding down on his knees and catching her limp form just before it hit the ground. Panting heavily and wincing at the pain that had arrived in each knee, he let out a sigh and inspected her for any damage. Finding none, and unable to see her face, Eren felt the sudden desire to part those golden bangs with his finger. Surrendering to the temptation, he did just that...and his chest inexplicably tightened.

She looked almost peaceful, eyes shut tight and lips slightly parted. Her breaths were slow, but they were there. He could hear them; with the otherwise silent night all around them, her breaths were little hurricanes to his ears.

He hated it.

He hated what was going on. He hated living like this, always in fear of witnessing a close friend being killed. He hated the Titans, hated Shifting, hated his own power and the others like him who had chosen to use it against humanity. Against their own brothers.

Eren could still feel the hatred, could feel the monster writhing within him and begging to be set free. But in that moment, looking down at her sleeping face, Eren could not find it in himself to hate Annie.

It was selfish to hate. It felt childish and stupid, above all else it felt _wrong. _He did not hate her.

But that didn't change anything. They were enemies, he reminded himself. Fated to kill one another, or die trying. As he watched those delicate eyelids flutter, some part of him decided it would rather die trying.

"She really went all out for us, this time." Reiner's sudden comment sent jolts throughout Eren's body, dragging him back to the waking world.

Tilting his head back to look at the other Shifter, Eren inwardly groaned at the mischievous look on his face.

"I know you're probably enjoying the moment, but don't worry about dragging her unconscious butt inside the house. I'll handle it." Without waiting for a reply, Reiner scooped the blonde girl out of Eren's grasp and threw her over one shoulder, walking off without another word.

Eren followed silently behind, lost in thought.

* * *

It didn't take long for them to get settled in, despite the age of the building. As he walked through the front door, Eren could have sworn he gained a few extra pounds from cobwebs alone.

Ymir and Christa found their home on a sofa right next to the front door, beneath a large window still obscured by curtains as old as the house itself. Christa appeared to be less nervous, and Eren took special note of the single arm Ymir had protectively wrapped around the timid girl's shoulders. He hadn't spoken to either of the two girls since he kidnapped Christa, and he had no desire to do that now with Ymir in her current state.

He chanced a look at her. She glared at him briefly and paid him no further attention.

_"Current state: pissed."_ Eren thought.

Anastasia moved away from the wall she had been leaning against, approaching the stairs leading to the home's upper level. "I need to rest. I'll be in one of the rooms upstairs if anyone needs me."

"I'm exhausted, myself," Bertholdt added, "and homesick. No more stops after Shiganshina. We're going straight to Valhalla afterwards, right Reiner?" The Colossal Shifter plopped down on the couch opposite of Christa and Ymir with a sigh. In the middle of approaching the kitchen, Reiner stopped to place a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder.

"No more stops." He promised with a slight grin.

"And when we do arrive at Shiganshina?" Eren said loudly, his voice echoing briefly.

Silence filled the room. Reiner remained motionless and focused on Bert, and Eren suddenly felt as though he had just asked the golden question.

"Once we arrive at the basement," Reiner spoke, running a hand through his hair, "you will hopefully find everything you need to help make the transition from soldier to Warrior a little easier. It is also likely that whatever is held within that basement will help you believe what I am going to tell you later."

Eren crossed his arms, eyes narrowed. "You can't be serious. Me, become like you? A mass murderer that can transform into a flesh-eating nightmare, smashing down giant walls and attacking his own kind?"

Reiner chuckled and gave a half-hearted shrug. "First time for everything?"

"Yeah," Ymir interjected, "I'd have to agree. I guess today was the first time you've ever had your ass handed to you."

Reiner's eyes widened and the smile instantly disappeared. Everyone knew she'd struck a nerve.

"Beginner's luck." he grumbled, walking off into the kitchen without another word.

Despite the current situation, Eren smiled at this gentle victory. Turning his head back to look at Ymir, Eren gave her a short nod.

Ymir just rolled her eyes. She then nuzzled Christa, which elicited a noticeable blush and a loud _Eep! _from the other girl. Ymir only laughed, and proceeded to pat the gentle girl's head as she pouted.

Realizing that he was the only person still standing in the room, Eren walked over to the couch where Bert was currently resting and sat down next to him. The next few moments passed in relative silence, and Eren grew restless. In moments he was filled with the sudden desire to leave. Throw the front door wide open, shift into a Titan, and run. It would have been so easy. Before he had a chance to give into this temptation, a loud cry erupted from inside the kitchen.

"HELL YEAH!"

Everyone in the room nearly fell out of their respective seats. The sound of pounding feet filled the adjacent hallway, and Reiner suddenly appeared in the living room with a pile of cans in his arms.

_"What's with that stupid grin?"_ Eren wondered.

"Mission complete!" Reiner bragged, gently lowering the pile of cans onto the floor. "There's enough food here to get us through the night, and hopefully even last us the rest of the trip! So, pick out what you like while I try to find a can opener."

Bertholdt was the first to approach the pile of (barely) preserved food, followed slowly by Christa with Ymir in tow, and lastly Eren, who had no desire to eat at the moment but liked the idea of being force-fed even less.

"Alright, let's take inventory," Bert mumbled. "Beans, beans, beans, beans, beans, pineapple—"

"Set that aside," Ymir cut in, "since canned fruit will only have lasted a year at best."

"Right," Bert nodded, separating that can from the pile. "Beans, beans, sardines—"

"Gross." Christa whispered.

Bert sighed, setting that can off to the side as well. "Beans, and beans. That's all there is, really."

"Incredible menu." Eren groaned.

"You shouldn't complain," Bert chided, "especially when Reiner comes back. I'm sure he'd shove one of these cans down your throat if that's what it took to get you fed."

Eren groaned again, grabbing one of the bean cans and returning to his place on the couch behind them. Reiner entered the room again shortly thereafter, can opener in-hand. Going from person to person, he opened each can of beans with care and precision. Reaching for Christa's can, Reiner suddenly lost the can opener to Ymir, who snatched the object out of his hand quick as lightning. Playing it off with a shrug, Reiner simply glared at her when Christa wasn't looking and sat down between Bert and Eren. Everyone ate in complete silence, choking down the beans that would work to further delay their starvation. It wasn't long before Bert was asleep, followed shortly by Christa and Ymir, huddling beneath a large and dirty blanket they'd found behind their couch. Anastasia was presumably asleep as well, hiding out somewhere on the second floor.

Which left only Reiner and Eren awake, looking awkwardly in opposite directions with neither willing to start the inevitable conversation. Eventually, Eren caved in.

"So...what did you do with Annie?"

Reiner yawned before responding, scratching the stubble that was slowly growing beneath his chin. "Dropped her in one of the rooms upstairs, the uh...very last one on the left. Judging from the direction Anastasia was walking in, I'd guess that she's been napping in the opposite room."

"Oh," Eren replied dumbly, unable to think of anything to add.

"Don't sound so disappointed," Reiner chuckled, gently squeezing Eren's shoulder. "I'm sure you could crawl in next to Annie if you really wanted to."

Ignoring Reiner's obvious bait, Eren shook the other boy's hand off. "Stop acting like we're pals, Reiner. I'm going to be sick."

"Eren, calm down. I'm your friend, remember?"

"Since when?" Eren hissed, leaning towards the source of his ire. Reiner backed away slowly, looking worried.

"If kidnapping and killing is your way of bonding with friends, it's a miracle nobody's tried to kill you before today. So quit acting like we're friends, allies, or even anything beyond two people traveling together. Because we're not."

"You don't look too sure, Eren," Reiner whispered, his expression one of pity rather than annoyance. "Friends discover new things about one another, friends fight. They separate, they stop talking to one another, they travel different roads. But sometimes, they reconcile. They reconnect and they come to better understand one another. I know you and I will understand each other soon, so just give it time. Give us a chance to show you what's really going on." Reiner pleaded.

"You said you knew the truth, right? You had answers for me." Eren shook his head. "How can you honestly expect me to keep following you unless you deliver? How about some answers up-front, huh? Give me some incentive to stick around, convince me that this isn't the absolute worst mistake I have ever made."

Reiner sighed and buried his head in his hands. He remained that way for a moment, silent and unmoving, before bringing his head back up to look at Eren. It was honestly the saddest expression Eren had ever seen on the boy's face, but that didn't do anything to quell the anger that boiled inside.

"I'll give you the short version," Reiner grumbled, "and you can study the situation in greater detail when we arrive at Valhalla."

"Start with that," Eren demanded, leaning forward with newfound eagerness. "What is Valhalla?"

Reiner leaned back against the couch and took a deep breath. "Valhalla," he began, "is the single most beautiful place I have ever seen. It is a large settlement, a village full of Shifters like us who banded together to survive. The most important and commonly visited buildings lie on the edge of a great lake, while most of the actual houses are scattered within the forest that surrounds it. And what a forest, Eren. It's a strange blend of regular trees and those very same massive ones we've encountered within the Walls. Valhalla itself is a valley, a rich landscape surrounded by snowy peaks and impossible to reach by ordinary means. We have a very special pass in the mountainside, one that leads to a pretty scary drop."

Reiner leaned forward as Eren did, invigorated now that he had the younger Shifter's attention.

"You see," Reiner continued, "Valhalla is surrounded by mountains on all sides and the only way to reach it is by moving from a certain adjacent mountain to one of those that surrounds our home. The gap between these two mountains is not massive, but large enough to where not even a Shifter running at full speed could make the jump. Climb the mountains? Impossible, the sides are far too steep, the icy exterior made unstable by vicious winds and special defense mechanisms. In the unlikely scenario that our enemies figure out a way to climb up the sides, we can intentionally trigger avalanches to bring them down. Of course, it's a one-time thing, so we prefer to keep that as a backup plan for the backup plan, so to speak."

"Enough about the scenery." Eren muttered impatiently. "Why does Valhalla exist? What do you do there? What are your goals?"

"I'm exhausted, Eren, and so are you. Just be patient and focus on one thing at a time, okay?"

"Tch, fine."

"Why does Valhalla exist? Well, it exists for the same reason the Walls exist: to protect its inhabitants. Valhalla is a home for Shifters created by Shifters...well, one in particular. His strain is pretty unique in that he does not seem to age, yet the act of shifting really impacts his health. He is the leader of our group, a great doctor and scientist, and pretty much the smartest guy I've ever known. His name is Dr. Kichirou Moto, and he's really close to your dad."

Eren blinked, unable to register what had just been said.

"My...dad?"

Reiner nodded. "Your dad didn't just up and disappear when we attacked the Walls, I'm sure of it. I only knew him as Dr. Jaeger growing up, and I didn't make any connection to you until I realized that your last names were the same. And then one day it just...struck me." Reiner hunched down over his knees, fingers interlocked and brow furrowed, giving him a troubled look.

"Your dad," Reiner continued, "was the only person who I remember having as much influence in the village as Dr. Moto does. It makes sense, given their relationship, and then everything else just fell into place. We'd received new orders, you see…

* * *

Wall Rose, Trost District

Year 848

"The jaws of defeat leave great scars."

"But pain is nothing in the pursuit of victory."

The words had been spoken many times before, and many times again, but this was the first time that Reiner had the opportunity to speak them himself. His only duty was to respond with the phrase that best described the current state of the mission. Pain is nothing in the pursuit of victory. His report was clear.

No complications.

He couldn't see the messenger's face underneath the hood, but that was just as well. Valhalla's intelligence specialists worked in the shadows, doing what needed to be done quickly, quietly, and with minimal casualties. One of their very first lessons was to blend in and, failing that, to become one with the shadows in the world.

Filthy alleyways much like this one were perfect meeting spots.

Their faces and names did not matter during a mission. All that mattered was the message.

"Reiner Braun," came a woman's voice from beneath the hood, "there are new orders concerning your mission. Along with Annie Leonhardt and Bertholdt Fubar, you are to abandon your assault on the Walls and secure a very special coordinate from within the 104th Trainees Squad."

"Who?" A younger Reiner responded in a flat tone.

"Irrelevant. All you need to know is that they possess the ability to Shift, and may be in possession of a unique Titan strain."

"Unique strain?" Reiner tilted his head slightly, curious.

"Full potential is unknown, but reports suggest highly volatile capabilities and incredible survivability rates. The coordinate is affiliated with Dr. Jaeger, although the exact relation is unknown."

"Dr. Jaeger? Are you sure?" Reiner's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Yes. Target is a direct result of Dr. Jaeger's extensive exploration of the Titan strain, most notably regarding the 'Blank Slate' theory. It is presumed that his experiment was a success and that this coordinate is a direct result of that experimentation. As such, it is vital that you abandon your current mission and focus your attention solely on this child."

Reiner nodded slowly, overwhelmed by the sudden influx of information.

"Inform the coordinate of their true purpose and return them to Valhalla unharmed. The integrity of the Walls and the reputation of the Church are no longer your primary concern. This mission is now placed on hold until your new one has been completed. You have your orders, Warrior."

Reiner performed the salute, the top of his fist brought down hard over his heart, offering it and undying resolve to their cause. The female messenger responded in kind.

"May great winds carry you forward," she said without emotion.

"May the tallest mountains bow before your strength," Reiner replied.

The farewell was succinct and done without feeling, but that was okay. There was no time for gentleness during a mission. And this particular mission had gone from one-sided massacre to playing fetch.

Reiner groaned and left the alley, determined to gather more information on the boy with burning green eyes and a well-known deathwish.

* * *

"We watched you," Reiner resumed, "and we watched more closely after you'd undergone your first transformation. The first is always, always wild. In Valhalla, parents are constantly watching over their young children and waiting for that occasion. It's not easy to restrain them afterwards without Shifting, so oftentimes they'll hold the kid's new form down until they wear themselves out. It's kind of normal for us. Ah, I'm getting off topic. Anyway, it was strange because ordinarily the first time occurs when you're really young...usually around five or six years. Late bloomers pop at about eight or nine. But you? An artificial Shifter? That's different."

"What do you mean, artificial?" Eren raised an eyebrow. He felt almost offended, but couldn't understand why.

"Well," Reiner scratched the back of his head, "We'd been informed that you were experimented on with the Titan strain. Shifters from our village are born with this ability and have a natural feel for it. Terrifying as that mutation of yours might be, you must understand that you're still very inexperienced. A kid from our village with a year or so of training could probably run circles around you all day. No offense."

"None taken," Eren responded, though it wasn't quite true.

"Anyway, back on track. So, the three of us got together and it was decided that Annie, being the fastest and most adaptable in combat, should be the one to chase you down after you'd left the Walls. I know what you're thinking, 'But Reiner, why didn't you just take me the very next day after receiving your mission?' It's because our missions are never that simple, Eren. We've learned that growing up the way we did. We had to wait and be certain that it was you before making our move. Sharing the same last name and being a living, breathing mass of hatred did not automatically mean you were the coordinate we were looking for. Once you'd transformed for the first time, however, that was it. We knew. And so we made plans…"

"You killed people. Innocent people, people whose only goal was to ensure my safety." Eren could feel it again, that familiar burning in his head.

"And let me guess," Reiner snapped, "they asked you to believe in them? To trust them? To ignore your own judgment and bend to their agenda?"

Eren was speechless. Reiner saw his opening and dove for it.

"You never once believed in them, Eren. You chose to rely on them, you relied on them to make the decisions for you. You chose to fight Annie in that great forest, but you made the choice too late. If you had only trusted in yourself, you could have defeated her and saved them. You should have believed in your own strength, rather than their lies."

Eren clenched his fists and made to argue, but Reiner was on a roll.

"That is how soldiers work. Those within the Walls don't want to defend humanity, they want to defend their faction, their portion of humanity. They bend to the will of those with more prestige or wealth, all for the sake of a cause that none of them truly believe or play a real part in. It's all a fucking game, a chess match with the players hiding behind the scenes, never taking the real blows or dealing the real damage. Bringing soldiers to battle against the Warriors of Valhalla would be like playing a game of chess with only pawns on one side and only queens on the other. There's no contest because we have more freedom. We are honorbound and we do follow the orders appointed to us, but when push comes to shove we can make the decisions no normal human can make. We alone can push beyond the barriers that limit most others, and the line between your common soldier and a Warrior like me is as dividing as the distance between Heaven and Earth."

"Heaven?" Eren blinked, confused.

Reiner waved it off, sighing. "Old world concept. Anyway, my point is that your vision is still too narrow. You don't know enough to fully understand your importance, to me or to Valhalla. If what we were told about you is true and if what you wielded against me in battle is proof of that, then this war between us and the Church is as good as over. We're taking you to the basement so you can see for yourself what kind of man your dad really is, and then we'll take you to what I'm sure will prove to be your real home—Valhalla."

Reiner yawned and with a stretch of his arms, comically and quite melodramatically collapsed at the foot of the couch. He looked up at Eren with a goofy expression.

"Tired," he grumbled. Despite the situation, Eren smiled.

"You and me both." Eren yawned as well, twisting his body to rest on an old pillow and curl up against the back of the furniture. Reiner rose to his feet and, seeing that the boy was already asleep, briefly scratched his backside and dragged his feet up the stairs to the home's second level. There was the sound of a creaking doorknob, the sliding of old wood against older wood, and the faintest of clicks as the door shut. Reiner had gone to bed as well.

Eren saw his chance and made for the front door, mad with desire. As quietly as he could, Eren opened the door and quickly closed it behind him, turning to run through dew-covered grass.

_"That was a lot to take in,"_ he thought frantically, _"but that's about all I'm going to get out of him. Time to get back to the Walls. To Mikasa and Armin!"_

Right as he passed a tree, Eren didn't see the foot until it had already made contact with his shin. With a yelp that was anything but masculine, Eren fell and slid against the cold dirt. Dazed, he struggled to turn and face his attacker.

"You never learn, do you? You should focus and be more aware of your surroundings, 'Hero.'"

Annie.

"How did you—?"

She pulled a stray lock of hair, tucking it lazily behind one ear. She still wore her usual bored expression as she replied, "I've been awake for a while. It was obvious that you'd try and make a run for it, so I decided to sit out here and enjoy the weather while I waited."

"You! You…"

"Bitch? Monster? Scum? I've heard it all before, believe me."

"Tch," Eren scoffed, shakily rising to his feet. "Whatever. I'm leaving, and you aren't going to stop me."

Like always, she moved like a blur. One moment she was staring blankly at his back, the next, Annie was right in front of him with fists raised.

"Catch a girl right before she falls unconscious," Annie spoke in a sultry tone, "and you don't even stick around for your one-liner? You'll break someone's heart, Eren."

Though no blows had been exchanged, her attack was quick and efficient, and it had the desired effect: Eren instantly blushed and could no longer focus, his attention divided between her practically glowing half-lidded eyes and the stupid part of his brain that decided he liked them.

Annie saw her opening and rushed forward, testing his instincts with a low kick. Shaking his head and returning to the fight, Eren rolled away and looked back up in time to get a good look at her chest...right before she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down, wrapping her legs around his back and completely immobilizing him—a guillotine choke.

"Ack! L-lemme go!"

"Hm," Annie pondered aloud, making a point to sound unusually playful. "What's in it for me, Hero?"

Eren coughed, tapping her arm. "Stop calling me that and let me go!"

"You can only have one," she teased, the corner of her mouth twitching in amusement. "What will it be? I can let you out of the hold, or I can stop calling you Hero. But if I do that, then you'll have to stay here until you fall unconscious. Tough choice."

In her amusement, Annie failed to notice Eren's slow and deliberate movements. Or perhaps she didn't think much of them, confident in her own abilities. But Eren was full of surprises.

It's part of what made him so interesting.

Eren slipped his right arm behind her back, quickly making to lift himself up.

"Nice try," Annie bluffed, trying to extend her hips in time to prevent his counter.

Too late. Eren lifted her up with him. To anyone watching, it would've looked like a very amusing and intimate scene, with Annie almost sitting in his lap and her arms wrapped tightly around his body while he had one arm around her back. But to them, this was a different embrace entirely. It was a test of strength and will.

By lifting up and pushing Annie's back against the ground, shoulder placed firmly against her neck with all the force he could muster, Eren had turned the tables.

She didn't tap his arm. She never begged or struggled. It was pointless.

For the first time since they'd met, Annie acknowledged his victory. He could see it in her eyes, the way they twinkled with that familiar shine that only appeared when he mastered one of her moves or tested them out on Jean.

It was pride.

Satisfied with the result of their little match, Eren slowly and gently removed the pressure from her throat and rose to his feet. She remained on the ground, staring up at him in complete silence. Without really knowing why, Eren offered her his hand.

Surprising him yet again, Annie took it and let him pull her up. She let go of his hand quickly and dusted herself off.

"Not bad, huh?" Eren said, grinning.

"Mnh. Not bad. Not great, either, but you've gotten better."

She turned and walked back to the house. Eren just stared after her, dumbfounded.

"Uh...wait, Annie?"

"Hm?" She replied without turning around.

"Aren't you going to kick my ass and drag me back in? I'm, uh...I'm honestly confused, here."

Annie turned, eyebrow raised. Eren scratched the back of his neck nervously, taking a sudden interest in the forest around him.

"You followed me," Annie muttered.

"Huh?"

She looked at him then, and though she wore her usual bored expression, Eren could tell that there was something more to it this time. Something had changed, something was different. It was almost gentle.

"You followed me back to the others, back when we fought side-by-side against those wild Titans. You could have killed me, you could have ignored me and ran back to your prison behind the Walls. But you didn't, Eren. You followed me because something inside of you knew that it was right."

Eren remained silent as the storm in his mind raged on. Behind him, the sun slowly rose from beyond the horizon, drenching the forest in a brilliant orange glow.

"If you want to run back to your Walls, go ahead. I won't stop you. I'll tell the others that I fought valiantly and you effortlessly tossed me aside like the proud soldier you really were. I won't call you Hero anymore, I'll call you Coward instead." She turned away and Eren swallowed, ready for an argument.

"But I don't want that."

He blinked. The protest died in his throat.

"You said you wanted to know the truth, and even if you kept it to yourself most of the time, you want to know where you really belong, too. Walking away from us now would be the greatest betrayal of yourself and what you consider important, it would make you a coward and a liar. And I had not figured you for either."

Without another word, Annie turned and resumed her walk back to the house. Left alone with his thoughts and the ever-rising sun, Eren lowered his head and closed his eyes.

"Damn it," he cursed. Summoning all the resolve he could, the young Shifter brought his chin up high and made his decision. He took one step forward. Then another, and another. And he followed his mysterious teacher back into the house.

Toward an uncertain future.

* * *

**A/N: **Aaaaah, holy hell. Why can I only pump out writing during all nighters? I swear, it's like a curse. So, do you guys like the new cover? It's a courtesy of "Tubigpo32," who you can find on DeviantArt and Tumblr (not that I use the latter). If you don't know the name, I can almost guarantee you know the art. His is some of the finest SnK work I've ever seen, and I'm so very grateful to have my commission accepted! And the image you see now is only the sketch, so you can look forward to the finished product here very soon!

Anyway, I'm glad to see that this story is gaining a lot of momentum. As I've told many others, I write this particular tale because it is one that must be told. I know that there are many of you out there like me, who wish to know what would happen in the Warrior route. Fans who wish that Isayama had capitalized on the potential that exists between Eren and Annie, as well as Eren and the Warrior faction. I'm writing the story that must be told, and it's a long one at that, so bear with me!

Also, now's as good a time as any to mention that I will be leaving for basic training in March 2014. If I cannot finish Titanfall by then, I will leave it in the hands of my co-writer Neterlan, who is responsible for much of the content that you will be enjoying in the near future (particularly the boss battles). In addition, I'll be leaving Mikasa's side story (which takes place between the second and third arcs) in his care as well, regardless of whether or not I finish Titanfall before I leave.

Now, for those of you who have been dying to know what's in the basement, you're in luck! We touch on that in the next chapter, and after that it's off to Valhalla! Stay tuned and stay awesome!


	5. Warrior 4

Eren slept deeply that night. A dream unlike any other assaulted his mind, and it was one he would not soon forget.

Darkness swirled all around him, a great and soundless void. He strained his eyes and ears, he reached out in front of his body, but nothing came of it. Though strangely lucid, Eren could not free himself from the nightmare that continued to sink its teeth into the core of his mind. Fear took hold, it chilled every inch of his body and turned his calm breathes into desperate gasps for air. There was nothing, but could emptiness be so cold?

This was Death. Wherever he was, whatever he was currently experiencing...it was not like the nightmares he normally had, filled with visions of bloodshed and the sound of his mother's cries for help. Without senses, without feeling, hope, or any sense of time...no. This was Death, he could feel it. This is what awaited those who fell in battle, lost to disease, or failed to sate their hunger. Given how clear his mind was while experiencing this torture, Eren came to a conclusion.

Every life was an intricate tapestry, a colorful mosaic filled with memories and experiences unique to each individual. But, regardless of the good or evil that was done, whether a life is simple or complex, happy or miserable, the end result would be the same. They would flock to this place, falling into the same abyss from which there was no escape. Every beginning could be unique, every life appreciated and every action carefully planned, but each and every story would end the same way.

All would die and come here, to the final chapter their stories shared.

At that moment, illumination. A sudden burst of light freed Eren from the dark, momentarily blinding him with its brilliance. The rays of light faded almost as soon as they had appeared, though a dull shine yet remained. The entire picture came into focus, and Eren's dream self let out a gasp.

The light came together to form a single ball, a miniature sun setting on the black horizon far ahead of him. Standing in front of this radiance, illuminated and staring blankly at the astonished young man, were his friends.

Mikasa and Armin. Hannes stood directly behind them, a hand on each of their shoulders. Jean, Connie, Sasha, side-by-side and expressionless like the others. Marco was there, too, completely unharmed. Mina Carolina, Thomas Wagner, and the others who perished...all of them were together without a scratch on them. Eren could feel the tears welling up. Filled with longing, he brought a sluggish arm up to reach for them. Then his mother stepped out from behind Hannes, and Eren's breathing stopped altogether.

A thunderous sound filled the void. Eren watched helplessly as everyone disappeared behind a great wall, hidden from view as the massive structure rose up from nothing. After so much time spent trying to hide his weaknesses, after once again being ripped away from what he cared about, something snapped inside. Eren screamed his despair, and the wall cracked. The dividing structure crumbled easily.

Beyond the ruins, a new group waited.

Bert. Reiner. And behind the two of them, Annie. Each of them extended a single hand, pleading. Ignoring the hesitation that tempted his mind, Eren reached out in kind. Out of nowhere a number of large, fleshy hands descended from the neverending black and slowly approached the trio.

Titans. Bringers of death and suffering. His great enemy, his revenge, his purpose. Reaching for those who were both friend and enemy. Or, perhaps, simply friends he never really knew. They were friends all the same, and Eren roared his defiance. He could not form words, he could not move his body, but his message was clear: _GET AWAY FROM THEM!_

Most of the creeping appendages dissolved into nothingness, returning to their dark place of origin. Bert and Reiner faded away, leaving Annie behind.

Alone, still surrounded by enemies. Perfectly still and expressionless, like a statue. Like the real Annie.

The remaining hands completed their descent, covering her. Removing her from his sight. Blocking his path. Eren yelled again, obeying his instincts and imploring his body to move. Slowly but surely the dream shell obeyed, building up speed as he ran to the mass of flesh.

He punched, but felt no pain. He felt nothing. There was only desire, one he did not fully understand but somehow knew was important. It gave him strength, kept him aware, drove him forward. The desire provided no answers, it did not give itself away. All it told him was _fight. _

_Reach her at any cost._

He felt strong, but not strong enough. The hands covering Annie would not budge as he punched again and again. As if sensing his weakness, a nearby hand separated from the group and slammed into Eren's form, backhanding his entire body away and returning to its original position.

Flying away for quite some distance, Eren finally collapsed on what could be considered the ground and stayed there. The urge to quit was strong, it robbed him of his will and left him eager to wake up already. There was no meaning to this struggle, there was nothing he could do.

"_I'm not strong enough, so what's the point? There's no point to me being here, so wake up! Wake up already, I'm done! I give up, so let me go!"_

"Give up?"

Eren's heart skipped a beat, a breath caught in his throat. He knew that voice, recognized the message being sent to him from behind the great barrier of flesh ahead. It echoed across the void, a strange melody that pierced through the dark and opened his eyes.

"I don't need you to give up. I need you to learn how to use your strength."

Tendrils reached out from the darkness behind Eren, slimy and cunning. He didn't notice as they continued their approach, quietly hissing as they reached for his body.

"You followed me."

"_Annie…? It's her voice," _he thought, newfound strength setting a fire within his chest. Something in his mind awakened, and he felt it; it was so very much like a raging storm, a furious river coursing inside. It was something he needed but could not reach before, separated by a barrier he could not see or remove. That barrier was gone, now. He felt complete.

The tendrils wrapped around his legs and arms, warm to the touch. Eren yelped and looked down at them in surprise, but felt no fear. They paid his reaction no heed, continuing to slowly envelop his entire body. Strangely, his panic subsided as they coated his skin, filling him with a sense of comfort, of strength. Confidence surged from within, and Eren rose to his feet once more. Midnight slime dripped from his body.

Behind him, a great vision appeared: his Titan form's own visage, charcoal hair flowing and emerald eyes burning with resolve.

"Fight," it growled. Eren's heartbeat skyrocketed, he could feel the explosions in his chest.

"I'm scared. I'm not like you..." Dream Annie's words, though a murmur, stood out easily in the infinite silence around him. Eren steeled himself, bent his legs, and ran. The terrifying vision of his Titan form followed close behind.

"There is no way…"

His feet slammed into the shadows below, his body no longer sluggish or weak.

"...someone like you…"

Eren yelled with all his might, and clenched his right fist. The tendrils slid down his arm and wrapped themselves tightly around the fist, reinforcing it.

"...can understand the feelings of a weak, frail girl like me!"

Eren drove his slime-covered fist into the barrier of flesh, into Annie's prison. The tendrils were separated from him in an instant, scattering into the air. Weak, useless. Undeterred, Eren whipped his right arm back and moved forward with the left. That fist met with the same result, the air filled with the remnants of that strange material.

"Fight," his Titan growled from behind, glaring off into the distance.

"I'm...a failure as a Warrior." Annie's whisper filled the air around him.

Eren's punches grew more frantic, but the flesh sustained no damage. The slime that covered his body did nothing, helped nothing. Useless.

"Fight," the illusory Titan continued, never once taking its gaze off the horizon beyond.

"There's no point!" Eren yelled, punching faster and harder with each blow. "There's no point in just fighting if nothing changes!"

Both his Titan and the imprisoned girl fell silent. His Titan's face tilted downward, eyes now focused entirely on his quaking body.

"Everyone fights, but not everyone wins," Eren continued, eyes blazing. "I don't just want to fight, I want to win!"

"Want to learn more of the same?" Annie's voice teased.

An image of Annie effortlessly flipping him flashed in Eren's mind. He felt like shit, but Eren laughed anyway. "Yeah, I would. I do!"

He punched again and again, changing nothing. Getting nowhere. Still, he fought.

"It's not enough to just fight, anymore," he muttered, "and nothing will change if I don't change, either. So I'll change."

"Change," his Titan agreed.

"No, I'll do more than that. I'll adapt, to anything and everything in my way!"

"I will adapt!" Eren and his Titan screamed as one, and he pulled his right fist back one final time. Bolts of deepest green danced along the surface of his arm.

Slime became steel. The fist collided.

The wall of flesh exploded, blood and steam filling the air and obscuring his vision. After a moment, the steam cleared.

Annie smiled at him, offering her hand. Eren reached forward and—

* * *

Eren woke up with a gasp, sitting up quick enough to send a jolt of pain through his head. Dizziness set in and he clutched his aching skull, groaning pitifully. When the dizziness finally subsided, he felt at last the sweat that was currently soaking through his clothes.

And there was steam. Though it was fading fast, Eren could still see little wisps coiling up all around his body. A firm hand suddenly gripped his shoulder, and Eren turned his head. Reiner looked concerned, hardly a first for him given how often he worried about his comrades. Traitor or not, the guy was empathetic.

"That was one hell of a nightmare you were having, Eren. It was a nightmare, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Eren responded, "a nightmare." Looking around, Eren noticed they were riding on Annie's Titan form again. They were separated the same way as before, and Anastasia stared curiously in his direction. She may as well have been Annie's twin, considering neither of them spoke much.

"You didn't even wake me up for breakfast?" he tried to joke. Reiner smiled, though he still looked concerned.

"Believe me, we tried. I shook you, Bert shook you, Anastasia pulled you off the couch, Annie kicked your shin…"

"Thanks a lot," Eren grumbled, tenderly rubbing the bruised limb. Reiner laughed it off, trading the shoulder squeeze for a friendly pat on the back.

"Whatever you were dreaming about, it must have been intense."

Images flooded Eren's mind. The living and the dead, the crumbling wall, the Titan hands descending on Bert, Reiner, and…

Annie. His ferocious attempts to free her came back as well, her words and his cries. He could still feel the armor on his right hand, the incredible pressure as it fed him strength.

Without meeting the other boy's eyes, Eren mumbled, "Did I say anything while I was out?"

Reiner's smile faltered and Eren shut his eyes, prepared for the worst.

"Nah, you didn't say a word. You thrashed around a good bit and kicked Bert a few times, waking him up. You were still knocked out when we left the house, and shortly after we brought you up here you _really _started to go crazy. Hell, your body was releasing steam! I thought you were going to Shift in your sleep, hahaha!"

Eren didn't feel like joining Reiner in his laughter, but at the very least he let out a sigh of relief. Now he didn't have to worry about Reiner constantly begging for an explanation or teasing him once he got one. Suddenly, the familiar rolling sensation turned spastic. Out of nowhere there was a great lurching motion from the flesh beneath them, and Eren went rolling right into the crystal barrier. Reiner yelled something he couldn't understand, and his back collided with the wall...just as Annie was releasing it.

The crystal shattered, and Eren fell over the edge of her collarbone. Panic welled up inside as he stared up at Annie's blank expression. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion, and his mind went blank. Eren shut his eyes and readied himself for the impact.

His back lightly thumped against a springy surface. Surprised and having expected more pain, Eren opened his eyes. Annie's response had been immediate, and the boy now rested on her open palm. He looked up at her, and she looked down at him.

"Thanks," Eren breathed. He was genuinely grateful, and hoped to convey as much.

In a rare display of carelessness, Annie shrugged, forgetting about the other passengers for a moment. Though startled and shaken by the movement, no one else fell from her clavicle.

Except for Reiner. He fell.

"Hey, hey, hey, HEY!" Reiner shouted frantically, eyes wide as he slid down the surface of Annie's right upper arm. He dug his fingers, boots, and even his teeth into her flesh to slow his descent, but to no avail.

"Help me, for crying out loud! Annie!"

Anastasia laughed from her position on Annie's shoulder. Reiner's grip failed him and he experienced the wonders of gravity firsthand. Rushing air battered him, whipping up the collar of his jacket. Just before he made impact, Annie lifted her foot and positioned it accordingly. Reiner bounced off of the top of her foot and landed unceremoniously in the dirt below, cursing all the way. With dirt and grass in his hair and on his back, the burly Warrior glared up at her.

"So, you catch Sleeping Beauty but leave me to fall?! You are dead when you climb out of there, do you hear me? DEAD!"

With a tenderness unbefitting of her, Annie lowered Eren to the ground and proceeded to do the same with those who still remained on her Titan's body. Once everyone was safely gathered below, Annie freed herself and joined them. Reiner immediately approached and tried to put her in a headlock, to which Annie responded by kicking him in the shin and moving on by. Ymir doubled over and gasped for air in between bursts of laughter, Christa looked concerned as usual, and Anastasia praised Annie's footwork. In all the excitement, Eren had forgotten where they were. The sound of gently flowing water brought old memories bubbling to the surface of his mind. Eren blinked and spun around.

Destruction was all that waited. Broken glass and wood, shattered tiles and all other manner of building materials littered the ground ahead. Various residential buildings like those he had seen only a few days ago, the very same ones he left behind on that fateful day, were largely shadows of what they once were. Windows were shattered, roofs had caved in, and massive bodies of brick and stone rendered many roads and alleyways inaccessible. The source of the noise was none other than a canal, the very same one he had escaped on five years ago.

Wall Maria, Shiganshina District. Eren was home.

* * *

He was possessed. By what, Eren could not be sure; he felt it in his mind, in his very body as he stumbled through the wreckage. Eren's feet moved, pounding against the cobblestone he could not feel. The impact from his feet were tremors that went ignored. He stumbled, even tripped, his way through the remains of his old hometown. The sun burned relentlessly far above, a great vigil for the greatest of tragedies.

The others remained close, unwilling to lose the coordinate they had fought so hard to secure. Even for them, however, remaining focused proved difficult. The graveyard left behind from their attack was like a beacon, drawing them further in. Even Anastasia seemed to be reflecting.

"What a ghost town," Reiner muttered, admiring the hole he had created. "Hey, Annie, did you see any Titans on the way here?"

"Very few." Her tone seemed to chill the very air around them. Reiner scratched his head nervously.

"And, uh...do you remember seeing any around here?"

"None."

"So even they stay away from this place, now." Reiner wondered aloud. He held back a laugh when Eren tripped over a wooden beam on his way through the hole.

"Stay close, everyone," he ordered, "and keep alert. Even if Annie didn't see Titans in the area, it doesn't necessarily mean they aren't here. And keep an eye on the newbie over there; if Eren trips again and breaks his neck after coming this far, I'm going to lose my mind."

Annie's lazy walk turned into a brisk one, then a full jog as she attempted to catch up with Eren. No words of parting were left behind as she abandoned them, rounding a corner up ahead and disappearing from view.

"I said stay together, damn it." Reiner sighed.

"She never listens to you," Bert chuckled, resting a palm on his friend's shoulder.

"She doesn't listen to anyone." Came the disgruntled reply.

Before long, Annie closed the distance between Eren and herself. She slowed to a walk about ten feet away from where he was currently standing, pausing to catch her breath. The entranced boy was tracing his fingers along the front door of the house before him, focusing on something. Curious, Annie stepped over another fallen beam as she approached and looked over his shoulder.

Scratches. Many long, erratic gouges adorned the wood, sinking deep into the surface. Suddenly, Eren began to shake.

It began with small tremors, a gentle rolling wave that rippled through his form and gave Annie the impression that he was crying. Then the shaking intensified, quaking, taking him over. Eren's head snapped to the side, and Annie was transfixed, paralyzed by the boy's stare. Frozen, trapped in place as she watched tear after tear roll down his grief-stricken face.

In a flash he was on her, grabbing the unsuspecting Shifter's arms and pushing Annie against the building. Caught off-guard and forgetting herself, Annie let out a soft cry.

"How?" Eren hissed, the word almost catching in his throat. Liquid fire continued to fall, burning its way from eye to lip, scalding. Reminding. The bitter salt tasted awful and he wanted to spit right in her face.

"How," he repeated, "can you justify this? So many. So _many _people died here, so many were _slaughtered _like animals because of what you did!"

The grip on her arms tightened, and Annie winced. But she never removed her eyes from his.

"How can you look at all of this and still look so _calm_? Do you even care? Can you even _feel _anything when you stand in this place? Is there even an ounce of regret when you look at the scratches in that door, or the balls of _slime-covered corpses_?!"

The final words came out as a yell, a roar of pain. Eren was a wounded animal and like one he fell to his knees, hands sliding from her upper arms to her own hands.

"What do you feel?"

Pools of blue focused on the top of his head as she whispered, "Nothing." Eren's shaking stopped, his breathing slowed. She could hear it. Taking a breath of her own, Annie continued—and he was surprised to hear her change in tone.

"We can't...I can't allow myself to feel anything. After all of this."

Eren tilted his head to look up at her, but she had fallen to her knees.

"If we do, it will hurt…"

Eren watched with wide eyes as Annie wrapped her arms around herself…

...and cried.

The numbness in his body pooled within his heart and settled there as something completely different. Eren panicked.

This wasn't right. None of this was right. Annie, crying? Her?

"It will hurt so much!" She sobbed.

Eren felt lost, more than ever before. This girl, this enemy before him, his teacher and his friend, the one who never showed emotion or weakness...was crying. It was alien. Unnatural.

And pitiable.

His hands found her shoulders, and Annie looked up at him. And it was that damn expression of his, again.

That stupid fire consumed the sea of green. It was harsh, and it was comforting. It was condemning and it was liberating. Above all else, it was confusing. Eren Jaeger was a strange boy, an oddity to her. Fascinating. His reckless idealism had its charm.

And he drew her in, a flame for Annie the moth to follow. She always followed, and the reason still had not become clear to her.

"Promise me." Eren spoke. She blinked more tears away, rubbing her raw eyes.

"Promise me that all of this, that everything...every death...promise me that it was all for the right reasons. Promise me that they didn't die in vain. Promise me that it's not too late to change things."

He left it at that and stared at her, waiting for a response.

"Please." Eren whispered.

She swallowed, and Eren's grip tightened.

"I promise."

* * *

The path was long and winding. Incredible chunks of stone and piles of splintered wood blocked many prospective routes, making the journey far more tedious than it needed to be. Reiner's complaints filled the air, much to Annie's annoyance. Leather footwear clacked against cobblestone as they all continued to navigate the wreckage.

It wasn't long before the group began to sweat and tire in the summer heat. Racked with thirst and overcome by the desire to sit down, Reiner (as the self-appointed leader of their group) decided that a break was in order.

Eren sat away from the rest of them, and Annie did the same. They did not sit together. They did not look at one another. After helping Annie to her feet earlier, she'd moved away from him without another word. Though most would have seen her confession as a sign that the two had grown closer, Eren felt the void between them grow even larger. It was a scary feeling. She'd changed again, right in front of him. It was so very much like their second battle, when she had been exposed as the Female Type.

Eren knew in that moment that he'd seen something he was never, ever meant to see.

Even Reiner, who'd initially planned to tease Annie upon her return to the group, fell silent when she sent a soul-shattering glare into his eyes. Bert appeared to be examining Ymir, who was too focused on Christa to notice. The temperature seemed to plummet once Annie had returned, and no one made an attempt at conversation.

And now, this is where they found themselves. Together as a group, but divided. And it was driving Eren mad.

His house was close, he could feel it. Much of the surrounding area was devoid of the old landmarks he had used as a child. His knack for exploring had often led to him getting lost, which in turn had led to many nights of missing dinner and many red ears, courtesy of his mother. After a particularly nasty tug and much crying into his pillow, Eren had resolved to never get lost again.

But there were no landmarks here, no signs or sense of familiarity. Shiganshina now was like a completely different world, unknown to him. Unknown and absolutely terrifying in its silence. It was much like Annie who, left unburdened from the dregs of conversation, was enjoying the slight breeze with eyes shut tight and fists clenched.

"_She doesn't look very relaxed at all." _

She hadn't relaxed since their conversation. Annie was forcing herself to loosen up, to let go of whatever was plaguing her mind. The thoughts in question were no mystery to Eren, considering he was tortured by them, himself.

"_Is something like crying really such a foreign thing to her? What about the other so-called 'Warriors?' Is it required before joining that you become an emotionless killing machine?"_

His mind was on fire, unfocused. A million different possibilities and doubts bounced in his skull, and Eren found himself unable to focus on any one of them for more than a brief moment. There would be no hunkering down and examining each one at his own pace; his brain was not so kind as to offer him that opportunity, choosing instead to torture him with thoughts like "Why am I here," "Am I going to become like them," and "I like her hair."

Sometimes Eren could hardly understand his own mind, and that had only seemed to worsen as he suffered the tribulations of puberty. The young Shifter rubbed his temples, hoping to silence the rebellious organ. Suddenly, the sound of shuffling feet; Bert moved.

"I can't keep quiet about this anymore." Bert piped up. "Ymir, I have a score to settle with you."

Eren stopped rubbing his head and turned to look at the other Shifter, along with everyone else in the group. The boy, though normally withdrawn and soft-spoken, had raised his voice quite a bit and risen to his feet. The glare he was giving to Ymir caught all of them off-guard, but none more so than Reiner.

"Need something?" Ymir drawled, doing her best to appear disinterested.

"You killed Berik."

"I've killed a few people, but that doesn't ring any bells."

Reiner jumped to his feet in a flash, gripping Bert's arm with both hands. Eren had never seen him so shaken before.

"Listen to me for a minute." Reiner pleaded.

"You realized it too, didn't you?" Bert accused, never removing his eyes from Ymir's. "You recognized her back at Utgarde, just as I did."

"Bert, this is not the time or the place for this," his friend growled. The hold on Bert's arm tightened. "We need them."

"No, Reiner, we needed the coordinate. We only ever needed the one that our mission said we needed!" Now angry beyond any doubt, Bert tore his arm free and took another step towards Ymir. With wide eyes and nostrils flared, he looked wild, animalistic; nothing like the Bert they had all come to know and expect.

He was absolutely livid, and even Ymir had run out of quips. She stared blankly up at him.

"You killed my brother, and I'll kill you for it."

Tiles crashed against stone, a silhouette stole away the sunlight. Christa screamed.

* * *

**A/N:** Basement and revenge coming up. Whose revenge? You'll see.


	6. Warrior 5

The group turned as one. There, perched like a spider on the adjacent rooftop, was a Titan. Christa's scream died in her throat, a hand brought up to cover her mouth. Ymir moved quickly, silencing the girl before she attracted more.

It gazed down at them, frowning. Motionless. A better statue than any statue.

But the eyes.

The Titan's eyes followed Eren relentlessly as he moved towards the others. There was a sinking feeling in his chest, a strange sensation that electrified him as the Titan traced his movements. His breath quickened, his pupils dilated.

The feeling began to fade as Eren approached Reiner, slowly being replaced by a certain sense of comfort. Staring down the Titan was certainly a lot easier with the bigger Shifter at his side.

"Reiner," Eren began, fists clenched as he returned the Titan's stare tenfold.

"I know, there's bound to be others. We can't exactly take this one down without attracting them, too."

"We'll simply have to run for it, then," Anastasia hissed, moving to Reiner's other side. A hand went up to grip the hilt of her sword. "Lose it and get back on track. I can't think of anything better for us to do, at the moment."

"Boy, that's a shame." Ymir's voice rang out.

Everyone forgot the Titan for a moment and turned to face the girl who was practically ringing the dinner bell. Sporting her usual deadpan expression, Ymir made no effort to quiet her voice.

"That's a shame," Ymir repeated, "because I've got a much better idea. Looks like things are actually going my way for once."

"Ymir, please tone it down," Reiner pleaded, his face growing paler by the minute.

"NAH, I DON'T THINK I WILL, REINER!"

Eren winced, tilting his head back to check on their uninvited guest. It hadn't moved from its position, but at least it had stopped following him with its eyes. Ymir was the main event, now, and she had its utmost attention.

"I don't know what you're playing at, and I don't care," Bertholdt growled. He took a step forward. "You're mine, you-"

Quick as a flash, Ymir drew her dagger and aimed it at him. The shock on his face was all the satisfaction she needed; he knew exactly what was about to happen.

"Sorry, Bertie. We'll settle up next time, eh? Until then, good luck dealing with these guys." Ymir laughed dryly, nodding to the Deviant.

Bert ran for her. "You bitch!"

It would only take a moment for the other Shifter to get his hands on her, but that was more than enough time for Ymir to pull Christa closer and say, "Hold on tight." Bert extended his arm, eyes wild with fury.

She was faster, driving the blade into her thigh. Lightning called down from the sky slammed into Ymir's body and knocked the others on their backs. Bert was not so lucky, instead flying straight into the wall beneath the Deviant. White-hot steam burst forth and obscured the entire area, and in his surprise, Eren gasped.

He immediately wished he hadn't. The typical stench of Titan flesh filled the air, that strange mixture of sweat and blood and smoke. His eyes watered, he gagged and choked and spat onto the ground.

The strength of Ymir's initial leap cleared the area somewhat, and they could only watch helplessly as the former prisoner-of-war gracefully danced in the air, navigating the wreckage with ease. Evading newly-emerged Titans left and right, the tiny shape that was Ymir moved further and further away, growing smaller every second before vanishing completely.

Their group of seven had now become a group of five, with one less Shifter to rely on. With a loud cry and eyes slammed shut, Reiner drove his fist into the ground again and again. Bertholdt remained slumped against the wall where he had fallen, a faraway look in his eyes as he watched his brother's killer disappear once again.

Eren struggled to his feet, the only one to do so.

Reiner continued to hit the ground, frustration dominating his mind. Bertholdt remained motionless, alongside Annie and Anastasia.

"What the hell is this? Get up." Eren stood at last on both feet, shaking slightly from the effort.

The others paid him no heed. He grit his teeth and inhaled.

"Hey! Get up, damn it!"

First Annie looked to him, then Reiner, and Anastasia. Bertholdt remained in his stupor, so Eren walked over and kicked his leg.

"Hey, Bert. Stand up."

No response. Eren was losing what remained of his patience, and the sound of lumbering behemoths filled the air. They were coming. In a fit of anger, Eren gripped the other boy by his collar and yanked him up to eye level.

"Stand up, damn it! Don't you want to go home?"

Bertholdt blinked.

"We can't go to your home without you. Does a Warrior slouch like this when they're beaten? Or do they stand back up?"

Bertholdt looked up at him, more focused now.

"If you're taught to accept when you're beaten, then maybe this Warrior thing isn't so great, huh? Look, I'm standing on my own two feet. I'm ready to do what we came here to do."

Swallowing the lump in his throat and with a short nod, Bert stood up.

"This whole thing is fucked," Reiner mumbled before following suit. Anastasia approached Annie and helped her to her feet, looking somewhat hurt when the other girl slapped her hand away immediately afterward.

"Looks like the Deviant left." Eren surveyed the wreckage all around them with narrowed eyes, flitting about. Scanning.

"That may be so, but...listen." Reiner grumbled, scratching the back of his head.

All around them now, filling the air and trembling through their bodies, was the sound of death. Pounding flesh, distorted groaning, the occasional feral scream.

The Titans had emerged.

"If we don't find shelter, namely your basement, soon," Reiner continued, "then we're dead."

Eren scoffed, bringing his hand to his mouth.

"Not if I take care of them, first."

He bit down, sinking solid teeth into springy, bloody flesh. Grinding his resolve to transform into skin and muscle, focusing. Steam floated lazily above the fresh wound.

Nothing happened. Eren cursed and bit down a second time, a third time.

Reiner's hand on his shoulder stopped him from ever finding out if the fourth time would be the charm.

"Look at the sky, Eren."

The boy complied, expecting a blazing sun. His heart dropped when his eyes met gray storm clouds.

"Ymir's timing was perfect," the Warrior said bitterly, looking away. "She used the last few seconds of sunlight for herself, and kept us distracted long enough to ensure that we would be left without the advantage."

Eren stared down at his bloodied hand, shocked. "That's low, even for her…"

"Ymir's gambit paid off. Instead of hunting them, they'll be hunting us."

Eren spat blood out of his mouth, fists clenched.

The race was on.

* * *

Their luck held out for quite some time, surprisingly enough. The Titans that had awoken from their hidden slumber were not yet aware of their potential prey, stumbling about and occasionally fighting one another as they were known to do. With night fast approaching and the number of enemies so high, Reiner opted to lead the way.

Reiner stayed at the front of the group, guiding them as stealthily as he could and signaling when to move. Eren, close to the Warrior's back, provided the necessary directions as best he could, digging through foggy memories and applying them to the current layout of his old home. Bertholdt and Annie were close to Eren's back and to each side, eyes on the adjacent rooftops and scanning for any potential Deviants like the one they had encountered earlier that same day. Anastasia kept some distance from the other four, taking up the rear and ensuring that they weren't being followed or informing them when a Titan stumbled into view.

The system wasn't perfect, but it worked. In a relatively short amount of time, the group managed to close the distance between them and the basement considerably.

Several rounded corners and one darkened alleyway later, they came upon a street that Eren did not recognize. Remaining perfectly composed and signaling for the others to wait, Reiner turned around and questioned the boy.

"Eren, what the _fuck_?"

Somewhat composed, anyway.

Eren gave a half-hearted shrug and scanned the street beyond their temporary hiding spot, frantically looking for any buildings he might've recognized from his childhood.

"I...I don't know, Reiner. This street...I don't know which street this is! There are no landmarks!"

"I thought you said we were going the right way! 'A straight shot,' you told me!"

"It was! I found something recognizable in every street up until now, but this one...I don't think I was ever on this one before!"

Reiner ran a hand over his sweat-covered hair, eyes closed and breathing heavy.

"Eren, you don't just make a beeline straight for your house and suddenly end up on a street you've never seen. Think, there has to be something!"

"I can't think if you keep complaining about it! And keep your voice down, they'll hear us!" Eren snapped back.

His mind in turmoil, Eren leaned against the brick wall to his side and placed his head in his hands. Too many thoughts, too many worries. He tried to focus, and he tried damn hard, but no doing. His brain was not cooperating, his desire was not being heeded. The memories would not respond! His eyes couldn't make the connection between what once was and what was currently before him! They were going to be caught in that alley while he stayed trapped in his own head, waiting for that inevitable moment when the nearby Titans discovered them and devoured them all slowly, relishing the ripping flesh and the snap of their bones, drinking-!

"Eren."

A hand on his shoulder. Light, almost weightless. It could have been a feather in his mind's eye if Eren hadn't lifted his head up to look. Annie's hand, there on his shoulder, reassuring when her expression did not.

A light squeeze, her brow furrowed. "Focus."

Exhaling slowly, his mind clearing, Eren turned as her hand slid from his shoulder and examined the street once more. Diligently, furiously. Demanding a response from his mind.

"_Five years. You were here only five years ago, so focus! Focus! Something, anything! Focus, focus, focus!" _

Suddenly, thunder. The storm was approaching. Eren kept repeating the mantra in his mind, moving past Reiner to peer out from the alleyway. More, he needed to see more of the street. Needed a better view.

A nearby Titan turned to glance at him in his trance, and Reiner cursed, reaching to pull the boy back into their hiding spot. Just as the massive arm of his friend pulled him back and the Titan's eyes widened at the movement, something on the ground caught Eren's eye.

Reiner pushed Eren against the brick wall, shaking him a little. "Are you out of your mind?! What did you see? Were you seen?"

Eren blinked. "I…"

"Well? Come on, spit it out!" Reiner said in a panic, louder than he should have.

"Reiner, back off him a little. Let the guy breathe." This from Bertholdt, who slowly pulled his closest friend away from Eren.

"Right, sorry. But Eren, come on, you gotta speak to us man."

Shaking his head, Eren looked up at the older Shifter with wide eyes. "I know where we are!"

Without waiting for a response, Eren continued, pointing at another alley across the road. "A sign, on the ground. There was a sign that had fallen and I recognized the name on it. 'Maurice's Bakery,' the place where my mom would stop by to pick up bread after some of her errand runs! My house is just on the next street through that alley over there!"

Reiner's face lit up like nothing Eren had seen before. "No shit?! That's awesome! Now we can-"

Another crash of thunder, and suddenly the group realized just how dark it had gotten. A flash of lightning arced across the sky, illuminating the entire city. Casting away the shadows.

Revealing the flesh eaters staring at them from beyond the alley, and atop the alley in which they had thought themselves hidden.

Nobody moved, nobody breathed. None of them blinked. But one still thought, instinct rising up in his body like a vile beast reaching out from its cage. A mind, a black hand that was not his own reached out in Eren's own mind and pulled him out of the stupor, commanding his movements. The feeling consumed his stomach, infiltrated his limbs, made him want to vomit slime.

It felt familiar.

"RUN!" he cried.

Hell broke loose like nothing else he had seen before. In a flash the group was driving their feet into the pavement as hard and as fast as possible, their hunters stumbling about in a mad frenzy of outstretched limbs and wide open mouths. The stink of rotten flesh was heavy in the air as they were pursued across the street and into the alley, a massive hand just barely missing Anastasia as she entered last.

The group stopped to catch their breath, all of them hands-on-knees tired and gasping.

"What-" Reiner began, just as the Deviants landed above them.

Noise. Panic. Thunder filled the sky, grunting and grinding teeth and chaffing flesh filled the alley, drowning out their surprised yells. Hands, so many hands, descending from between the buildings, reaching down so far to try and grasp them. Moving through the alley became a hellish obstacle course, where so much as grazing the surface of an obstacle could mean certain doom. Try as he might, Eren's tormented mind and body could not keep up with his desire to not be left behind, and he suddenly found himself as the only one who hadn't escaped the alley yet.

If he was panicked to shit before, there could be no words for what he was feeling now.

Alone. Utterly and hopelessly alone was a good way to put it.

Then that feeling again. Angrier this time, ferocious. Oddly satisfying.

"_This is nothing. Run." _

The voice was his own, the sound of his own voice in his own mind, no different from when he had been trying to memorize information as a scout or when he was mulling over how to reach his house. Still, there was a certain edge to it now. It felt less forced, more real. More like himself.

His body almost moved entirely of its own accord as Eren surrendered to his instincts, dodging grimy Titan fingers and hungry arms, weaving through and almost throwing himself free from the alleyway.

Only after he had escaped did Eren realize how much that place had stunk of rotten flesh. He inhaled greedily, relishing his temporary freedom. He brought his head up to look for the others.

Instead, he gazed upon the wreckage of his old home.

Eren's eyes widened. Even when the others ran to him, even when Bert helped him to his feet and Reiner began shouting at him, Eren did not think. He did not respond.

He just wanted this day to be over.

"Key!"

Eren blinked, returning to his senses. "Eh?"

"The key, Eren! Where's the key?!"

Eren gasped with recognition, hand immediately diving down to fish it out of his shirt. Tugging the strap and breaking it against his neck, Eren tossed the bronze key to Reiner and tilted his head back to look at the Titans, still perched on the buildings a short distance away. They hadn't realized, yet, but they would. And soon.

Together, the Shifters ran over to the wreckage as Eren pointed it out, shouting to one another over the sound of thunder and roaring Titans. When Eren finally approached what remained of his old home, even in their chaotic situation, he felt nostalgic. There was little left to recognize, but it was his. These stones, these splintered remains of the once proud pillars that had kept his shelter upright...ruination or not, what now laid at his feet was his.

The first of many losses to come.

"Hey, I think I found it." Reiner called, beckoning the others over.

As Eren approached, he could see that Reiner had indeed found the entrance: there, almost completely buried at his feet and visible only through a small gap, was a small stairway.

The stairs to his basement.

The path to his answers.

His father's legacy.

"Help me clear it!" Eren suddenly demanded, casting away stone and wood from the wreckage. Reiner complied immediately, and Bert followed soon after. While the three boys tore frantically at the ruins beneath them, Annie and Anastasia kept watch.

Annie's eyes narrowed as the Deviants finally left the alley alone, descending into the street.

"If you're going to do something," she said coldly, "then do it fast. They're coming this way."

"We're almost there...almost...got it!" Reiner yelled victoriously as the path was finally made clear. After moving down the steps, what remained was an imposing, wrought iron door. Gazing upon it filled Eren with a sense of dread and wonder, as if he was once again a curious child being told why he should never go in there.

Reaching forward, he tugged on the handle. Cold to the touch, the fierce metal structure did not budge in the slightest.

"You should probably unlock it first." Annie's voice came from behind him. Reiner chuckled, and Eren's ears immediately caught fire.

"Y-yeah, probably."

He checked his shirt, then panicked briefly before remembering that he had thrown the key to Reiner. Gesturing to the boy with an outstretched palm, Eren suddenly had a thought.

"Why did I even throw this to you if you weren't going to unlock the door in the first place?"

Silence. Reiner just scratched the back of his head as he often did, grinning like a damn moron.

"I just figured I'd hold onto it for you. Didn't want you to lose it at the last minute or anything like that."

"Asshole." Eren muttered, shoving the key into the lock with a little more force than necessary. As tumblers fell into place and he turned the instrument, a loud click resonated through the air. He tugged on the handle again with renewed vigor.

Nothing. The door did not budge.

It was then that he noticed the large wooden beam propped against the top of the door, pushing against the metal. Wedged between it and further wreckage. Barring entry. With a loud cry of anger, Eren tugged furiously at the handle again and again, but to no avail. They weren't going anywhere with that beam in the way.

"Looks like we missed a little." Reiner sighed, cracking his knuckles. "Back to w-"

"Hey! What's the hold up down there?!" Anastasia cried from the top of the steps, eyes wide with panic.

"There's a fallen beam propped against the door, we're working on it!" Reiner replied.

"Well, we're out of time! Titans are coming, and they're coming fast!"

"Shit. You heard her, guys, push harder!" Reiner ordered, his face going red with effort.

Try as they might, even with their combined strength the beam did not move. It did not slide. They may as well have been trying to push their way through one of the Walls for all the good it was doing.

"Fuck this." Eren spat, moving away from the beam and running up the stairs.

"Where the hell are you going?! Get back here and help!" Bert cried.

"I'm going to buy you guys some more time! Keep pushing!"

Eren emerged from the stairwell and his breath immediately caught in his throat. Annie and her servant were staring impassively as the Titans charged down the street ahead.

Legions. Armies. Onslaughts. No word could really do the scene justice.

Horde. Indeed, the approaching group of Titans was more like a horde than anything else. A swarming pile of flailing limbs and drooling mouths, hungrily and rapidly approaching them in the distance. Gnashing teeth. Wild eyes that could see but could see nothing, staring off into the distance.

Eren swallowed and stepped forward. The girls paid him no heed, not until he was already standing exposed in the middle of the road. Annie was furious.

"Eren, what the _fuck_ are you doing? Get over here!"

Eren did not look back at her, scanning the approaching Titans instead.

"Eren!"

"I'm buying you guys some time. Go into the stairwell with Reiner and Bert, stay out of sight. Try to help them get the door open. If these bastards only see me, they'll only come after me. I can't outrun them, but I can outmaneuver them. I'll use the alleyways, and-"

A flash of yellow. Eren's heart stopped.

He felt sick. Vision swimming, he struggled to stay on both feet. No, he had to be mistaken. It was not possible.

One shaky step after the other, Eren moved forward. He stared at the running Titans with wild eyes, searching. Those teeth...he saw them. He had seen them only once before, but he would never forget them.

THERE! Yellow teeth, lips drawn wide and stretched in a permanent grimace. A sickening grin.

Those teeth. Filthy blonde hair flowing from the force of its movement.

Eren hunched over, dry heaving. His eyes were so wide they hurt. His limbs had turned to jelly. His heart, no longer frozen in place, was now violently thrashing behind his ribcage. He was shaking so much he could collapse at any minute.

"Y….y…"

Even speaking felt like an impossible task, with his jaw chattering and lips quivering. Memories forced their way to the front of his mind.

Fingers of filth and gore, brushing aside the heavy wreckage as though it were nothing. Reaching down so low, low enough to envelop the prize waiting beneath it. The wriggling, screaming surprise.

His mother.

Eren began to convulse, shaking terribly as the Titans continued their charge and the sky continued to blacken. Annie took a step forward, concern etched on her face for once. Anastasia, no more aware of Eren's condition than she, wrapped an arm around Annie's chest and tried to pull her into the stairwell.

"Eren!" Annie yelled, trying to wrench the arm away.

"STAY BACK!"

Annie blinked.

Eren tilted his head up to look at her, just as his shoulder exploded.

Flesh and blood and bone, precious sinew, scattered into the air around him. Crimson stained the cobblestones at his feet as ebony took its rightful place at his side, black slime pouring and sliding down his wounded arm. A low hissing filled the air as the slime began to take shape, suddenly bursting into movement as writhing tendrils emerged.

"Get away. Get inside. Stay over there and don't come out."

Annie's expression was one torn between horror, fear, and worry as the boy deadpanned. As he spoke, his voice seemed to have gained an extra layer to it. It had grown deeper, more focused. Wretched.

It scared her. Nothing could scare Annie and _it terrified her._

"Get out of my way. Go."

After a moment she complied, retreating into the stairwell with Anastasia close behind. With the distraction gone, Eren sighed and straightened his body, staring at his prey with his head tilted to the side. Whimsical. Calm.

"Hm? Yes, I can hear." He said aloud, staring at the distance but looking at nothing. He saw, but did not see.

"Hahahaha! Aah, yes. Yes, I can hear. I can see. I can smell you. Hear you."

Eren blinked and stared at the Titan, the one Titan in the coming group that had his attention. The grinning Titan from five years ago.

The Titan that had killed his mother was here, approaching him. His revenge was finally at hand.

"I'll kill you. Crush you. Break your bones, devour your strength. Come. Come on, come on, come on, come here. Come after me! Hurry, hurry, faster, I WANT YOU TO COME!"

He roared and the tentacles screeched with him, writhing and thrashing and whipping with new vigor as their master surrendered.

Thunder shook the sky.

"I'm going to rip you apart."

Annie emerged from the stairwell, ignoring her servant's cries. She watched with shock as the slime wriggled and hissed with glee, scattering droplets of blood into the air as they moved.

Eren slowly moved to raise his right hand, left eye shining brighter than usual as the slime enveloped the left side of his face.

"I'm going to chew on your hopes, crush your instincts." He spoke to the Grinning Titan, his mother's killer, as he continued to raise his right arm. High above Shiganshina, the clouds continued to gather. Lightning flashed.

"I AM GOING TO EAT YOU ALL!"

Annie gasped as he raised his hand to the sky. Lightning arced through the clouds with greater frequency, striking the other buildings nearby.

Fire. Bolts of lightning had struck the fallen wood around him, illuminating the night with raging fire. Eren laughed amid the blaze, arm still pointed to the sky. A moment of silence came. The flames crackled softly, and even the approaching Titans seemed muffled. He felt no warmth. Fear did not exist. He was hungry.

Suddenly the lightning coalesced, crashing through the air. Bolts of three, bolts of green, meeting in the middle and filling the world with light, exploded with brilliance before crashing down.

Before meeting Eren's body.

The resulting explosion almost knocked Annie on her back, filling the air with dust.

In the middle of the road, bones rose from nothing. Flesh materialized and slime encased Eren's body as the rest of his Titan form came into being. Annie could not find the words nor the thoughts to describe what happened before her very eyes.

Eren, whose power was a mystery to her.

Eren, who had lost himself to that very power on this day.

Eren, who had done the impossible like the Titans ahead.

Eren, who had Shifted beneath the night sky.

Eren, who would have his revenge.

A new sound shattered the sky and brought his prey to a screeching halt. An intimidating new sound, a terrible roar.

Eren, now Shifted, unleashed a hellish cry at his enemy, arms cast wide and eyes burning with hatred. But they saw only one Titan, only one enemy.

That grinning bastard. His mother's killer. Nothing else mattered. The other enemies he would crush.

"You," Eren giggled from within his shell, "I'll take my time with you."

* * *

**A/N: **I'm not dead, just had trouble getting my momentum again. Should definitely start riding the high from freshly posted chapters so that you guys aren't waiting a damn month for a new one, hahaha.


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